Olympics

Avalanche concerns on Monday will be a tossup between new storm and wind slabs first thing in the morning and wet loose avalanches triggered by warming and rainfall in the afternoon. Expect snow levels to shoot up to Olympus-like heights by day’s end.

Winds overnight will continue to strip away any snow that remains for transport on windward slopes. A few inches of new snow near and above treeline will add more raw material to build new wind slabs as well. Look for scoured snow surfaces, slabby-looking drifts, cornice features, and changes in snow texture - pay attention to these and other clues to identify and avoid places where shallow but unstable wind slabs might lurk.

As snow levels rise and snow turns to rain look for signs of instability like rollerballs, pinwheels, and very small wet loose avalanches. Even slopes with only 3” to 6” of dry new snow still have enough to produce small wet avalanches once the surface becomes wet and loses cohesion. Move off and away from steep terrain when you observe the beginnings of wet avalanche activity and pay particular attention to terrain overhead.

On Saturday Olympic National Park rangers reported boot top, unconsolidated new snow on sheltered aspects with 3” of wind affected snow over crust on southerly, windward slopes. The new snow was generally well bonded but very steep test slopes still produced shallow slabs. One small natural avalanche was observed in wind loaded terrain below a cornice in Maggies on an east aspect at 5400’.

2021-22 Forecast Schedule: Avalanche danger ratings will be issued for the Olympics every Friday through Sunday and during mid-week holidays. During the week when the Hurricane Ridge road is closed, forecast information will be updated daily to include expected conditions and relevant travel advice under the No Rating label.