Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

The threat of destructive, wet avalanches will continue to make for dangerous conditions on Thursday despite the end of heavy rainfall. Limit your exposure to steep or rocky terrain overhead.

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–3

    After a full two days of rain, wet slabs, glide avalanches, loose wet avalanches, and falling cornices are all hazards for those willing to travel in slow and challenging conditions. Rainfall will begin to taper Wednesday night and will lower the likelihood of encountering an avalanche. On the other hand, wet avalanches can release at random long after heavy precipitation ends as water continues to percolate through and weaken the snowpack. The danger lies in the unpredictability and destructive potential of these avalanches.

    Strongly weigh the risk of traveling on or below avalanche terrain on Thursday. These are not problems that can be “managed” - all you can do is stay out from under steep terrain that can produce these avalanches. Watch out for and avoid traveling under sagging cornices, glide cracks that indicate where the entire snowpack is slipping downhill, and large, unsupported blocks of snow that linger around an area that has already slid. Areas of recent wet avalanche activity are where you are likely to see more of the same until the snowpack has time to drain and temperatures cool significantly.

    (1/11/2022) Glide cracks and small glide avalanche on north facing Mt. Herman above Bagley Creek in the West North. Photo: Lee Lazzara

Avalanche Discussion

Telemetry across and adjacent to the West Central has recoded anywhere from 3.5” to 7.0” of precipitation from January 10th through midday on the 12th. It fell nearly all as rain except for at the highest elevations. The rain fell on a cold, dry snowpack near and above treeline and triggered a natural avalanche cycle consisting of loose wet, wet slab and glide avalanches. Below treeline areas saw significant rain earlier in January and less avalanche activity was reported from this elevation band save for areas where very large avalanches ran into lower elevation terrain.  With continued rainfall Highway 20 once again closed for avalanche danger east of Newhalem. Highway 2 across Steven Pass remains closed and WSDOT crews reported recent, very large wet avalanches that cut new paths through treed terrain. High freezing levels into the weekend could sustain melting and add more water to a snowpack already saturated with rain. If you make it to the alpine you may encounter unstable storm and wind slabs of dry snow in the highest terrain.

 

 

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