Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Saturday will be a day of transition with avalanche danger increasing throughout the day. Windslabs and storm slabs will be building as snow accumulation increases. It will be important to monitor the changing conditions and be ready to adjust your terrain chioces. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Some blowing snow will blast off into the atmosphere, hower some features in our mountains tend to be very effective at catching drifting snow. There will be potential for triggering small windslab avalanches in certain pockets of terrain and some isolated features will have the potential to create a setup for larger avalanches. We have enough cold and light snow on the ground at upper elevations to create a weak layer beneath denser wind packed snow. Look for visual clues like wavy surface texture or pillowy drifts that indicate where a slab has formed. Wind slabs typically form below ridges and highpoints in the terrain on lee slopes.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Storm slab potential is expected to build throughout the day. In the morning, the chance of triggering a storm slab will be nil but with the expected snowfall it will be something to watch for by the afternoon. Snow from previous days has been cold and dry. The incoming storm will bring warmer termperatures and slightly heavier snow by Saturday afternoon. As heavier snow accumulates over the light cold snow, watch for cracking  and slabs popping off on small convex test slopes.....if you see these signs stick to lower angle slopes and be cautious on and around steep and convex features.

Avalanche Discussion

Saturday is a tough one for the forecast. We are going from minimal snow with low danger to the first monster dump of the season. The conditions you encounter in the morning may be very different from what you see in the afternoon. Any time you see cracking in the surface snow or signs of natural or human triggered avalanches, back off to lower angle terrain less than 30 degrees.

 Avalanches in early season can be complicated by terrain hazards such as protruding rocks and logs. Be conservative and look forward to a long season. 

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