Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 31st, 2015–Apr 1st, 2015

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Olympics.

Avalanche danger should be limited to the above treeline elevation band in the Olympics.

Detailed Forecast

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered light snow showers are forecast on Wednesday in the Olympics. Showers may occasionally become moderate in the afternoon.

In areas that have enough snow cover to provide a bed surface, shallow loose wet avalanches involving the new storm snow will be possible with daytime warming. Also, lee easterly aspects may harbor shallow wind slab at higher elevations.

Most areas near and below treeline in the Olympics do not have enough snow to cause an avalanche danger.

Snowpack Discussion

The storm snow received mid to late March at Hurricane Ridge has mostly melted out near and below treeline due to the warm and occasionally rainy weather that followed. A few inches of snow fell Tuesday, well short of what is needed to build a meaningful snowpack out of the Hurricane Ridge area. No recent snowpack observations have been received from the Olypmics.

While the snowpack remains meager near Hurricane Ridge, there is likely enough snow for avalanches near and above treeline on the higher peaks of the Olympics.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.