Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche danger will rise throughout the day as warming temperatures and direct sun heat up steep slopes.   Consider moving off of steep sunny slopes if the snow feels wet and heavy or you are seeing naturally occurring roller balls/pinwheels.  Plan your route to avoid traveling underneath steep slopes that will be warming in the afternoon.  

This forecast is sponsored by M. Crow Company.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Overnight temperatures below freezing combined with clear skies last night have helped the snowpack to cool down.  Most surfaces will likely have developed a melt-freeze crust on the surface this morning.  As the crust breaks down from warming temperatures, wet loose avalanches will become more likely.   High temperatures in the Blues today are forecasted to be in the low to mid-50s.  

    East-facing slopes will start heating up in the late morning and the sun will work its way onto southerly slopes, then westerly slopes by the late afternoon.  Look for clues to wet loose activity such as roller balls or pinwheels, and look for "point releases" out of rocky outcroppings or cliff bands.  Plan your travel accordingly to avoid being on or under warming steep slopes in the afternoon.   Expect any natural or human-triggered wet loose slides to run easily on the underlying crust.  

    If you step off your machine or out of your boards and are wading around in wet unconsolidated snow, you've got the right conditions to produce wet loose avalanches.  If experiencing this, seek out lower-angle slopes on shadier aspects for the rest of the afternoon.  Consider the results of getting caught up in even a small wet loose avalanche if it were to knock you off your feet and carry you over consequential terrain such as cliffs, into dense trees, or into a gully feature.

    (4/3/2025)

    This D1 wet-loose avalanche was intentionally triggered through a ski cut.  the 2-3" of warm snow slid easily on the underlying crust.  

    Photo: Tom Whipple

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–2.5

    Forecasters in the Blues in the last couple of weeks have noted meltwater working its way through the snowpack and pooling on top of a stout crust that is 1-2 feet from the surface.  Any time water pools on a crust like this, we become concerned that all of the overlying snow could release as a slab of wet snow.   Wet slabs are very hard to predict the timing of, sometimes even waiting until after the peak of the warming to release.  If you dig down to these crusts and notice a saturated layer of snow that looks like a 7-Eleven slurpee, then avoid traveling on or under steep slopes that have been baking in the sun.   

    Photo: Tom Whipple

Avalanche Discussion

Freezing temperatures and mostly clear skies have helped the snowpack to cool overnight.  Any crusts that have formed will need to break down before wet loose avalanches become a concern.  Be mindful of slip and slide concerns over firm surfaces in the morning before the snow surface softens.  Consider carrying an ice axe and crampons if your travel plan takes you through consequential steep terrain that will likely be firm in the morning hours.  

In addition to wet avalanche concerns, the warming temperatures and sun will continue to weaken cornices along ridgelines.   If traveling along ridgelines, give cornices a wide berth, and avoid hanging out underneath these looming monsters.  

With limited observations this time of year, uncertainty is higher.  Please submit an observation here and chip into the community info-sharing.  It can be simple, short, and even anonymous.  Thank you! 

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