Avalanche forecast

Olympics

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You'll find a snowpack in transition as temperatures warm and rain creeps uphill Thursday night and Friday.  Use caution around terrain traps where even a small avalanche could cause harm. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    The rain-line should move up the hill and into the upper elevations Thursday night and Friday.  You may see evidence of rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches as you look around on Friday.  Stay safe by avoiding very steep slopes near terrain traps where you find yourself sinking into heavy snow deeper than your ankles or see evidence of recent wet loose activity.  These slides are likely to be small but can be powerful and knock you off your feet.  

    You may see evidence of rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches following Thursday night's warm-up. 

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Small wind slabs may linger along ridgelines at mid and upper elevations Friday.   Shifting winds over the last week have also redistributed snow onto different aspects and cross-loaded some slopes. While these avalanches aren't likely to be big enough to bury you, don't let one take you for a ride in the wrong place like above cliff bands or down a rocky gully.  

    (1/18/2024)

    Shifting winds over the last week have formed tiny cornices and other wind features on both sides of Maggie's ridgeline in the Hurricane Ridge area. 

    Photo: Kaitlin Harrigan

Avalanche Discussion

NPS staff and NWAC observers poked around the Hurricane Ridge area on Thursday.  While our Cascadian neighbors to the east experienced more sloshing back and forth of the arctic air mass that moved into the region over MLK weekend, the Olympics saw milder temperatures and less new snowfall during the work week. They found evidence of last week's N-NE winds and more recently S-SW winds, with small cornices and wind slabs along both sides of ridgelines.  Snow fell at low elevations, but temperatures near the freezing mark limited drifting and led to small wet loose avalanches along steep road cuts.  While visibility was poor, they found stable conditions in the Maggies area of Hurricane Ridge.  Lee NE aspects held a relatively deeper snowpack around 4.5' (140cm) while W aspects had less than 3' (80cm). 

Regions covered