Avalanche forecast

Bridgeport Avalanche Center

Bridgeport Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Warming temperatures and intense April sunshine will encourage the possibility of wet loose avalanches on solar aspects at all elevations, and may even contribute to cornice failure.  There may be small lingering windslabs on leeward slopes from yesterday's quick storm. Travel with caution, and continue to evaluate localized snow conditions as the day progresses and avoid traveling on top of and beneath cornices. 

 

 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Temperatures will rise quickly today, especially at lower elevations. In addition, the April sun shines high in the sky and is reaching all aspects. Wet loose avalanches are possible on solar aspects at all elevations. Look for signs of rollerballs and pinwheels, and increasingly deep ski and boot penetration. Rocks retain heat well and this heat can trigger natural point releases - a clear sign of wet loose instabilities present in the snowpack. Be intentional with your time plan for the day, in relation to solar radiation and temperature. Wet snow can be quite sticky and difficult to travel through, and creek crossings may no longer be supportable. Be mindful of icy or crusty travel conditions in the morning, and crusts forming as sun angles shift and temperatures begin to drop later in the afternoon. Give cornices a wide berth from both above and below. 

     

    an example of rollerballs on warming snow

Avalanche Discussion

After quite the exciting winter, we are finally getting a taste of spring. The unseasonably cold April temperatures combined with intense April sun have created unusual snowpack conditions for this time of year. There are variable surface conditions present on all aspects, including wind buff, wind scoured slopes, supportable and unsupportable crusts, and soft snow in isolated terrain features. The snowpack is still transitioning from winter to spring, and the warm temperatures may affect the snow in different ways depending on what is locally present. 

Yesterday the area received small amounts of precipitation. The rain line varied between 7000' and 8000', and the storm produced trace amounts of new snow, and three to five inches in very localized higher elevation zones. Moderate to strong winds may have formed small windslabs in higher elevation leeward areas where enough new snow fell. Look for cracking, textured snow, and signs of recent avalanche activity. Even small wind slabs can have high consequences in exposed terrain, such as over cliff bands and in chutes or gullies. 

As temperatures rise, the likelihood for cornice failure will continue. Cornice failure is hard to predict, and giving cornices a wide berth both from above and below is always good practice. 

 

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