Boletín de aludes

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Wed
Alta montaña
2 · Moderado
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
1 · Débil
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó last year. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

Recent avalanches are a good reminder that it is still possible to trigger wind slabs in exposed terrain on Tuesday. Approach steep wind-loaded terrain with caution and consider choosing more conservative routes to reduce your exposure to this problem. Shooting cracks, hollow-sounding snow, or whumphs are good reasons to dial it back. Minor wet snow instabilities may develop on solar slopes. 

Problemas de aludes

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1–1.5

    Anytime the sun pokes out after fresh snowfall (especially in March), expect some level of wet snow instabilities to form. Pay attention to your aspect, timing, and the snow surfaces around you. Consider moving to a shader aspect once you notice rollerballs shedding or sticky, gloppy surfaces under your feet or machine.

    (3/17/2025)

    Small wet loose point releases from Sunday's warming. These existed on many steep solar aspects around Blewett Pass in the East Central. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1–2

    Each day we move past the initial loading event, slabs will start healing up and become harder to trigger. However, the caveat is the increasing winds that are forecast for Monday night into Tuesday. While the likelihood has decreased, increased winds could always build a new generation of shallow, reactive slabs, especially in alpine terrain. Still, consider approaching any steep wind-loaded terrain with caution on Tuesday. Be on the lookout for blowing snow, dune-like drifts, and recent cornice formation to help you identify where the wind has been at work. Tweak small test slopes and gather information from several data points before committing to bigger terrain in the alpine. Shooting cracks or whumphing collapses are obvious signs you found an unstable slab.

    (3/17/2025) 

    This large natural avalanche near Mission Ridge in the East Central zone released sometime on Sunday evening or Monday morning during a period of high winds. Approach this type of bigger, wind-loaded terrain with suspicion on Tuesday. 

     Photo: Mike Rolfs

Avalanche Discussion

Tuesday is shaping up to be a rinse and repeat of Monday, just with slightly higher winds which will likely stir around some snow in exposed terrain. Observations were few on Monday, but notable to say the least. A backcountry traveler in the Mission Ridge area in the East Central reported a large natural slab avalanche that likely occurred during the overnight hours, which aligned with a period of strong wind speeds. You can check out their observation here

This past storm was favorable for the southern zones and volcanoes. Storm totals have ranged from 9-14 inches across weather stations, with the most reported around Bumping Lake, Chinook Pass, and the South Fork of the Tieiton. Unsurprisingly, backcountry travelers traveling in the nearby West South zone reported a round of reactive wind and storm slabs. You can check out their observations here (North Fork of the Tieiton/ Mt Adams/ Crystal Mountain).

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