Boletín de aludes

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
Ver en el mapa

Peligro de aludes

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

Lo esencial

Warming temperatures, clear skies, and light winds should increase the chance for wet loose avalanches on Wednesday. Manage the hazard by moving to shaded slopes if you notice rollerballs, pinwheels, or moist snow surfaces. If you make it up high onto the shady side of the mountain, steer clear of very steep and complex terrain where you see signs of wind-effected snow.

Problemas de aludes

  • Wind Slabs

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

    We are now more than three days out from the last storm, and wind slab instabilities are becoming less obvious in the West South. Favored zones like the volcanoes likely built bigger slabs than areas closer to the crest, but regardless of location, you will probably have to venture into steep and complex terrain at the upper elevations to trigger an avalanche.  Areas such as convex rollovers, the tops of gullies, aprons below cliffs, and slopes beneath steep ridgelines are key places to watch. Look for signs of wind loading snow such as pillows, lens-like drifts, and textured surfaces, and consider avoiding slopes where these signs are present unless you can confidently assess their stability. Practice safe travel techniques by travelling one at a time on steep slopes. When in doubt, choose simpler terrain that is planar, supported, and not confined.  

  • Loose Wet

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

    Warm overnight temperatures, sunny skies and the warmest day time temps of the week, and light winds could cause an uptick in wet loose activity on Wednesday. You may find a crust that will need to break down before this problem becomes an issue, or some slopes may not refreeze overnight and could pose an issue soon after they see sun.  Luckily, this problem should give some clear advanced warning signs. Look for rollerballs, pinwheels, snow shedding from trees, moist or wet snow surfaces, and sinking in to wet snow past your boot tops. If you see any of these signs, stay off of and out from under steep slopes in the sun. You can shift your aspect to a shadier slope to mitigate this hazard.

    (1/13/2025)

    Natural rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches in the Paradise area. Wednesday will be the warmest day of the week, and wet activity could increase in both quantity and size.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

On Tuesday under mostly clear skies, temperatures shot into the 40's at the upper elevations throughout the zone. This marked an increase of 6 to 13 degrees F from the prior day's high temperature. We haven't heard much from the backcountry, but White Pass Pro Patrol observed a gouging wet loose slide just across the zonal boundary in the East South and we suspect steep southerlies elsewhere warmed and began to shed some snow. On Wednesday, day time highs will climb yet another few degrees, the wind will ease, and the sun should be out again. Forecasting for wet avalanches is challenging, but these factors certainly lead us to think that activity may increase on Wednesday. 

NWAC Forecasters at Crystal Mountain on Tuesday reported some soft snow left on shaded aspects, while slopes facing the sun had combinations of supportable and breakable crusts. Needless to say, while the weather looks delightful, travel conditions are challenging at most aspects and elevations.

Regiones cubiertas