Southern Wallowas

Generally stable snow conditions still exist in our regions, but additional precipitation and fluctuating freezing lines have increased our avalanche hazard. Upper elevations received several inches of snow, which can form into wind slabs 3-5 times deeper than the amount of snow that fell; stay attentive when travelling along ridgelines and in wind-affected areas. Conversely, Middle and Lower elevations have experienced above freezing temperatures and rain, which could cause small, wet-loose avalanches in steep terrain. 

This forecast is sponsored by C.B. Const, Inc. 

Expect a mixed bag of conditions if you're heading into the mountains today.  The snow level and air temperature will be playing a game of cat and mouse, with hopefully more snow than rain.  It's difficult to know how this will all shake out until we get into the field and make some observations.  Snow on the surface should point you in the direction of the avalanche problem you may encounter.   

What we are tracking:

There’s little of note on the horizon as we begin 2026.  Most of what we're tracking is already on the ground. Below 6000’, we still have a limited snowpack, but the middle and upper elevations have filled in, though there’s a lot of variability in the lower snowpack.

In some of our forecast areas, we've found a patchwork of rounding sugar snow (facets) in the bottom few inches of the snowpack. These are unlikely to be problematic beneath the strong 12/18 crust at this time, but future loading could make them an issue.  We're also monitoring various melt-freeze crusts from December, including the 12/18 crust and the 12/26 crust.  In areas where these crusts are 2-3” of solid ice, we’re confident in their strength. However, in places where the ice is thinner, with soft sugary snow in between, they could become a layer of concern as more snow increases the slab weight above them. At upper elevations, the 12/26 may not be a crust but rather just heavier, denser snow.  If you encounter this or crust sandwiches, let us know where. Probing with a soft touch over a large area can be a useful technique.

New resources for 2026

• Blog post on 12/29: What to share as a recreational observer
• Avy App. It can save the forecast for offline use and store field observations that upload automatically when back in service. 

Avalanche Courses: The WAC offers avalanche education tailored specifically for both backcountry skiers and snowmobilers.  Check out all of our courses here.  

Observations: 

 Submit an observation here.  Let's paint this picture together.   An observation can be just that- a picture and where it is.  It doesn't have to use any technical wording or snow nerd acronyms.  Just explain where you went and what you saw (or if you did not see avalanches).   Submitting observations through the Avy App has made it incredibly easy for forecasters and recreational users.  

• Elkhorns 1/1
• Elkhorns 12/31
• Northern Wallowas 12/31
• Southern Wallowas 12/30