Boletín de aludes

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Sat
Alta montaña
2 · Moderado
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
1 · Débil
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 3 years ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

East winds have been blowing, and should increase again Friday afternoon. You could trigger shallow soft slabs in newer snow, or stiffer slabs 1.5ft deep on faceted grains over a crust. Use well supported or sheltered slopes while the snow adjusts to this drifting.

Problemas de aludes

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The wind has been the story the past couple of days. Easterly winds have been blowing since Wednesday evening, and have been drifting slabs over weaker, faceted snow. Look for wind rippled and stiffer snow surfaces to help pinpoint where you could trigger an avalanche. If you find fresh drifts that create shooting cracks when provoked, steer around pillows and drifts on steep slopes. 

    You can use small, inconsequential test slopes to check how easily the snow slides. To avoid the problem, stick to well supported or lower angle slopes, and look for wind-sheltered terrain for travel.

    Slides could be just a few inches deep, or they could break 1.5ft down on the stout crust from Early February (see photo). Any slide that breaks on this crust could be surprising, larger and wider than you anticipate. 

    (2/13/2024)

    Skiers triggered a slab avalanche (D1.5) at upper elevations on 2/13.  Jim Hill, NE, 6,500ft

Avalanche Discussion

The sun may make an appearance Friday morning, before skies cloud up again in the afternoon. Small point release slides may become possible in the morning on any slope in direct sun. The easterly winds should ramp up a notch Friday afternoon, so expect continued drifting in locations exposed to these. Prior to the east winds on Wednesday, surfaces consisted of surface hoar and faceted grains over brittle to breakable crusts on most aspects. 1-1.5ft down you can find a thin layer of small sugary facets above the stout crust from early February. Near crust faceting was occuring  while I was out on Wednesday, so this interface may have gotten weaker. On Tuesday, a skier triggered a slide 1.5ft deep  on this crust on a NE aspect at 6,500ft on Jim Hill. A different party on Jim Hill reported some large whumphing collapses that same day. Other observations from this zone and the neighboring East Central and East North zones show this layer to be problematic as well.

If you make it out, please share what you found with an observation.

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