Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

 Sunshine and warming temperatures will increase the chances of triggering a wet loose avalanche on steep slopes.   Avoid steeper slopes as the snow becomes wet and heavy.   

This forecast is sponsored by Brooks Painting.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose avalanches within last week's storm snow should be your main concern today.  You can expect to find a thin melt-freeze crust on the surface this morning.   It will warm and soften throughout the day.  By mid-day start to look for natural roller balls and small wet loose avalanches around rock bands on aspects that the sun is directly affecting.  Once this occurs, you may be able to trigger wet cohesionless snow in the upper snowpack as wet loose avalanches. 

    While these wet loose avalanches are expected to remain small today, getting caught up in one can push you off your feet and carry you over consequential terrain or push you into a terrain trap such as a creek bed or gully.  As the snow becomes wet and heavy under your skis or machine, move to lower-angle terrain or shadier aspects.

    Example of wet loose avalanches naturally releasing under rock bands in the Western Wallowas on an East aspect from earlier in the month. 

    Photo: Wallowa Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

The Blues have seen warmer temperatures than our other forecast zones through the most recent storm.  Higher snow levels and mid-storm temperature bumps have brought mixed precipitation since Monday.   The mid-month warmup took its toll on the snowpack in the Blues with many slopes on the southern half of the compass seeing significant snow melt.  The new snow will have shallowly buried many obstacles and you should use care when riding in thin areas.  

Continue to dig down into the snowpack to see how wet the middle of the snowpack is.  Uncertainty exists as to how well the midpack "locked up" in the last week, and a wet loose avalanche failing in the new snow could potentially dig down into a wet saturated snowpack creating a larger more destructive wet slab avalanche.  

Observations have been sparse in the Blues.  If you get out, let us know what you are seeing by submitting an observation here.  

No danger rating has been issued for the lowest elevation band in the Blues (3000'-4000') due to the lack of snow in that zone. If we receive significant low elevation snow we will begin forecasting for that zone again.

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