Blues

Problemas de aludes

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1–2

  Winds will continue throughout the day transporting snow to NW-N-NE slopes forming slabs on exposed terrain.  As these winds continue to transport snow the avalanche danger has increased and it will be likely to trigger a wind slab.  Winds in the Southern Wallowas are forested between 14-33 mph with gusts up to 37 mph out of the southwest.  The winds in the Elkhorns are forecasted between 15-25 mph with gusts up to 39 mph out of the south.   Snow will continue to be transported to the northeast, north, and northwest slopes.  Look for signs of wind loading on leeward terrain along ridgelines and cross-loaded mid-slope terrain features.  Choose your terrain carefully before you commit to steep slopes if you see signs of wind loading, such as wind-moving snow, fresh cornices, drifts, and wind pillows.  

  

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1–2.5

  We are finding weak layers of snow that are still reactive in our snowpack tests in the upper 3' of the snowpack.  You will have to dig down to make an assessment, of whether or not these layers are present and reactive if you really want to collect more detailed information.  Clues such as whumping and cracking may or may not be present, and the distribution of buried surface hoar is not universal across terrain features and aspects.     

  Before committing to slopes greater than 30 degrees it is essential that you take the time to understand what weak layers may exist in the snowpack.  Buried surface hoar can appear as a grey stripe in the snowpack, but this is not always the case if it is laying down.  Often times we will find it while conducting a shovel shear test.  If all of this sounds like too much work, or out of your comprehension then ski and ride one at a time, limit exposure, stay clear of runout zones and keep your slope angles less than 30 degrees.