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RegisterDec 16th, 2018–Dec 17th, 2018
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Dangerous avalanche conditions exist, especially in the Wenatchee Mountains. You can trigger surprising avalanches that could break widely across terrain features. Careful route-finding and cautious decision-making are essential to travel near avalanche terrain. If you experience collapsing, cracking in the snow, or see recent avalanches, avoid open slopes 35 degrees or steeper.
New snow and wind have maintained dangerous avalanche conditions. You will find highly variable conditions and snow depths throughout the region. We have limited observations for this large area. Observers in the Mission Ridge area have reported explosive, skier, and remotely triggered avalanches Friday-Sunday. Other parts of the region may have less snow and less reactive conditions.
Updated Regional Synopsis 20181216
Dangerous and fickle avalanche conditions remain as active weather continues into the week. Thick slabs of new snow (2-5 feet) are perched above a weak layer of faceted crystals. Avalanches triggered on this layer could be very large and life threatening. Reports continue to come in of very large natural and triggered avalanches in the northern and eastern zones. For perspective, several of these slides have been classified as D3, or large enough to destroy a house. You can find similar snowpack structure responsible for these avalanches in many other locations throughout the Cascades, including Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes. Anyone accessing alpine areas should limit their exposure to areas where avalanches start, run and stop. In some places the weak snow will talk to you by whumpfing and cracking. In other places, the heavy blanket of new snow is thick enough that it can give a false sense of stability while it masks the dangerous layering below. Approximate snow totals from 12/10 - 12/16:
Mt. Baker: 75”
Washington Pass: 35”
Stevens Pass: 42”
Snoqualmie Pass: 36”
Paradise: 51”
Crystal Mt Base: 29”
Mt. Hood Meadows: 21”
Olympics: mix of rain and snow, no net gain
The change in the snowpack is pretty dramatic with elevation. Height of snow decreases rapidly below 4500’ at Baker and Washington Pass, 5500’ at Crystal/Rainier. The Passes have better low elevation coverage, but it's still pretty thin below 4000’. With additional warm storms in the forecast, this pattern is expected to continue for awhile. Mt. Hood and Hurricane Ridge have low snow coverage below 5000’.
If you're out in the mountains, please let us know what you see.
Be cautious and get home safe.