East Slopes South

You’ll find generally safe avalanche conditions across the East South. The only exception will be upper elevation, shaded slopes that may harbor fresh, shallow pockets of wind-drifted snow that formed Thursday from strong NW winds. Continue to use normal caution and prepare for firm, variable travel. 

The cooling trend continues for the region. Unfortunately there is no precipitation in the near future, so we’ll be stuck with challenging travel conditions for the next few days.

While the avalanche danger is LOW that doesn’t mean no danger. During this period of high pressure keep some things in mind:

Wind Slabs & Old Weak Layers: Strong NW winds on Thursday may have drifted available soft snow into thin slabs along shaded aspects at upper elevations. These should be small and isolated, but they could trigger easily in locations where they rest over faceted snow or crusts. If you head to these higher elevations, look for blowing snow and stiff, textured slabs to help you identify wind loaded features. Keep in mind that even a small avalanche can have high consequences in extreme terrain. 

We removed the Persistent Slab avalanche problem this past week. Weak layers still exist in the upper snowpack but they appear unlikely to trigger. Snowpack tests show non-propagating results, and we have received no reports of triggered avalanches or whumpfs in over a week. Cold temperatures will help facet out the upper snowpack, but these weak surface grains won’t be too concerning until we get more precipitation. 

Challenging travel/ Long, sliding falls: The snowpack has endured a beating this past week. Be ready for crust extending up to 6500 ft or even higher along sun-exposed aspects. The slide-for-life conditions and challenging travel may be one of your most significant hazards during this period. If you head out into steep terrain, consider packing the crampons, ice axe, and importantly, know how to use this gear properly. 

Normal Caution: While avalanche conditions are generally safe, still carry avalanche rescue gear and use best-practice travel techniques. For example, only expose one person at a time to steep slopes and assess the snow and terrain as you travel.

If you get out into the mountains, let us know what you see by submitting an observation here.