Boletín de aludes

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Fri
Alta montaña
2 · Moderado
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
Sin grado
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó last year. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

You could trigger a wind-drifted avalanche on steep easterly slopes above 3000 feet. Lookout for smooth pillowy snow drifts deeper than your boottops, shooting cracks, and blowing snow at ridgelines as warning signs. 

Problemas de aludes

  • Wind Slabs

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

    What and where is it:

    Nearly 4 inches of snow overnight coupled west and northwest winds had the potential to build small, soft, and reactive wind slabs overnight and today. These are likely to be 1-2 feet thick. Isolated areas in easterly aspects could produce a larger avalanche as those paths are still large and well connected. As these wind slabs continue to form through the day they may become stiffer as winds increase. 

    How can you recognize it: 

    Visual identification may be challenging today due to blowing snow actively loading and the old snow surface being buried by new snow. If you have good visibility look out for areas of accumulating snow that will appear smooth and pillowy. As you begin to move through the snow, be cautious of drifts that are deeper than the tops of your boots. Use your hand, a pole, or a shovel to dig down to the icy old snow surface to assess the thickness and sensitivity of new wind slabs. Strong-over-weak structure, shooting cracks, and blowing snow are all warning signs of today’s avalanche problem.

    How can you manage it:

    Travel on firmer old snow surfaces to limit your exposure to wind slab avalanches today. Consider avoiding larger drifts or convexities as those areas may harbour larger avalanches. Continue to make frequent snowpack observations and remember that snow lower in the terrain may not be representative of the snow above you, even in the same gully or terrain feature.

Avalanche Discussion

With significant snowpack loss in the alpine, loading patterns have become less predictable as new snow falls between cracks in rocks rather than the smooth snow surface it fell on earlier this season. These rocks are not smooth and often trap the snow, limiting snow available for transport. As a result, smaller wind slabs are developing that are more isolated and patchy in distribution. 

There is some uncertainty if there are larger avalanches, D2, that you could find in avalanche terrain today. These are expected to be isolated in easterly aspects on well developed avalanche paths. The more likely size you will encounter today will be small, D1.5, on easterly aspects. To identify a potentially larger problem, look for larger pillows of connected and smooth snow. If you find this and that the depth is deeper than your boot top you may have found a larger slab that you might consider avoiding. 

This new snow has likely buried the firm old snow and it may be hard to identify it from the surface. However, this firm surface is still something that you should factor today and if you are climbing steep snow slopes you should still consider crampons, ice axes, and a helmet to be necessary tools to help mitigate the risk of a fall. 

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation on our website or in the new Avy phone app of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts. 

Thank you to Hermit Lake Caretaker Cooper Smith who just wrapped up his second season as an AMC caretaker. We appreciate your dedication for early morning snowplot data as well as your assistance in SAR responsibilities. 

LEDGE BREWING SPEAKER SERIES: Join MWAC at the Ledge Brewing Barrel Room this Friday 3/28 at 5:30 PM for an inside look at some of the most recent rescues in Tuckerman Ravine and learn how to avoid becoming one yourself in the future. We’ll focus on spring hazards and discuss some of the skills you need to recreate safely. Whether you’re skiing, hiking, or climbing, it’s crucial to be prepared! Admission is free, but please RSVP and you can find more information here.

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