Boletín de aludes

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

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

Lo esencial

The snowpack is still adjusting to several feet of new snow and recent strong winds. This makes for dangerous avalanche conditions near and above treeline. You could trigger an avalanche large enough to bury you on or near slopes steeper than 30°. If you travel in the backcountry today, choose low-angle terrain and watch for blowing snow, shooting cracks, and collapsing.

Problemas de aludes

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Likely
    Tamaño
    1–3

    A mixture of southwest and northwest wind has increased the distribution of wind slabs across the forecast area. This variable wind pattern means you may encounter wind slabs at all aspects near and above the treeline. With well over two feet of snow received in the last three days, there are large amounts of snow available for transport. Wind speeds will increase tonight and so will the intensity of snow transport. This means wind slabs may be several feet deep and you could trigger an avalanche that would not be survivable. The best way to avoid this problem is to avoid slopes steeper than 30°, watch for lens-shaped pillows of snow, listen for hollow sounding slabs, and, as always, paying attention for red flags.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1–2.5

    While the likelihood of this problem is decreasing, storm slabs remain possible to trigger out in the backcountry today. As the snowpack adjusts to over two feet of new snow below and near the treeline, be on the lookout for shooting cracks and collapsing, dig down in that top meter of the snowpack and assess the stability of the new snow before committing to steep terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

An impressive storm system delivered 27, 19, and 24 inches of new snow in the past three days to the Ski Bowl, Mt. Eddy, and Castle Lake weather stations, respectively. Yesterday on Gray Butte (8,000 feet), we experienced an impressive collapse in flat terrain and shooting cracks near tree wells and along wind loaded terrain features. On test slopes, we intentionally triggered two small (D1) wind slab avalanches on a northwest aspect near 7,500 feet. Nearby, we found evidence of a natural D2 avalanche that likely occurred early Saturday morning during peak storm intensity. Stability tests on the same aspect at 7,000 feet and on a northeast aspect at 6,700 in the Eddy's revealed a propagating, moderately reactive weak layer with poor stability. All results were on the weak layer 65 centimeters down from the surface.

As the sun comes out today, don't let your guard down to avalanche hazard. The combination of blue skies and fresh powder is a common pitfall that catches folks off guard in the backcountry, so be sure to travel with a competent partner and evaluate the snow carefully before committing to riding on or adjacent to avalanche terrain.

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