Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 1.5–2.5
Recent Avalanches: A small wet slab avalanche observed on John Mtn likely occurred on Sunday. Four large slab avalanches occurred on the west side of Butch Mountain on Thursday.A large avalanche was observed on the north aspect of Tri-Tip on Monday, which propagated widely across the slope and ran towards Tenderfoot. There were also natural avalanches on Spirit Walker and further up the Mills Creek drainage, although the exact timing is unknown.
A major storm is arriving at our doorstep, beginning with strong easterly winds ramping up this afternoon. We expect to see winds averaging 30 to 40 mph later today, which will blow snow into reactive wind slabs at upper elevations. These will be around 1' deep on average, but could get much larger than that by tonight. The most likely places to find unstable snow will be near ridgelines, convex rolls, and in steep, loaded gullies.
Avalanche danger will be on the rise today through tomorrow, and the size and likelihood of avalanches will increase quickly as the weather picks up. Keep an eye on changing conditions, and be prepared to dial back terrain as the storm unfolds.
Wet Snow Avalanches: After a warm and sunny day followed by a cloudy night, it is unlikely the snowpack has gotten a solid refreeze. With mostly cloudy skies expected today, natural avalanches may not be very likely, but there is still a chance that a person may trigger wet snow avalanches, especially at and below treeline. Be cautious if you are wallowing around in sloppy, unsupportable snow, and look for better stability on shaded aspects.
