Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Cloudy skies today may help to slow the reactiveness of wet loose avalanches, but the lack of solid overnight freezing temperatures should keep you on guard.  Most wet loose avalanches should remain small, but could still push you into consequential terrain traps.  Water has pooled on crusts in the upper snowpack, putting more destructive wet slab avalanches on the table.  It will be best to stay out of steep and consequential terrain until the temperatures drop further.  

This forecast is sponsored by Quickhatch Provisions. 

 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Most mountain locations did not dip below freezing last night.   Cloudy skies today may slow down the process, but saturated surface snow has lost cohesion and will easily be pushed into motion on slopes steeper than 35 degrees.  

    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.  Use small test slopes to test for the reactiveness of the surface snow.  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 a crust that sits below the surface snow.  

    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.

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Yesterday in the Blues, I found water pooling at a crust about 1 foot from the surface.  I also observed propagating results in an extended column test on slushy snow just below the crust.  

    If traveling in the mountains today, dig down at various elevation bands to investigate how deep into the snowpack meltwater has saturated the underlying snow.  If water is pooling on a crust, you have the off chance potential to get caught up in a more destructive wet slab avalanche.  Predicting the timing of wet slab avalanches is tricky, but if you are seeing numerous wet loose avalanches running naturally, your best bet is to stay off and out from underneath steep slopes. 

     

    (4/11/2025)

    Water pooling on a crust in the Blues

    Photo: Caleb Merrill

Avalanche Discussion

Cornices along ridgelines are losing strength in the warming temperatures.  Avoid traveling near the edge of ridgelines where cornices could break further back than you might expect.  Use rocks and trees as clues to know where terra firma is, use a spotter from further along the ridgeline, and build some buffer into your estimation.  

I traveled to Spout Springs yesterday to take a look at the snowpack.  Check out the video below and my posted observation here.  

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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