Avalanche forecast

Elkhorns

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Persistent weak snow lingers in the snowpack.  Increasing winds will build sensitive slabs of stiff snow along ridgelines and exposed terrain.   Human-triggered avalanches will become likely at upper elevations, especially where stiff drifts of snow rest above weaker snow.   Avoid freshly drifted snow on exposed slopes and near ridgelines to reduce your chances of getting caught up in a large avalanche.  

Today's forecast is sponsored by: M. Crow in Lostine, OR. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2.5

    Strong winds will increase today, mostly out of the South and Southeast.   There is plenty of snow to be transported, and wind slabs will develop.    If the forecasted wind speeds develop, the likelihood of wind slab avalanches may increase throughout the day.  Wind slab avalanche problems may be present lower on slopes than you might expect if wind speeds reach the forecasted values.    Mid-slope terrain features may also become cross-loaded.  

    Look for clues to wind slab development:  A stiff and rippled texture, snow stripped terrain upwind of loaded slopes, cornice development, and fresh dunes of snow drifts.   Avoid wind-loaded slopes steeper than 30 degrees in steepness.  

    (2/10/2026)

    Look for stiff and textured snow as a clue to wind slab development.  Other clues include wind stripped terrain upwind of loaded ridgelines, cornice development, and dune like drifts.  Shooting cracks on the surface of the snow may be present in sensitive wind slabs.  If you see this, it is a clear sign to choose less consequential terrain.  

    Photo: Caleb Merrill

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Beneath the new storm snow, the situation gets more complicated. The Elkhorns have received over 2 feet of snow since February 8th, ending the January drought and burying a layer of facets. These facets are becoming reactive in snowpack tests, meaning a skier, snowmobiler, or smaller avalanche could trigger this weak layer and cause a larger and more destructive avalanche. Additionally, layers of buried surface hoar have been identified 1.5 feet down on the Valentine's Day interface, further complicating our snowpack.

    Persistent slabs do not always show signs of instability before releasing. Collapses, whumpfs, and shooting cracks are a tell-tale sign of instability, but their absence does not guarantee safe conditions. Give steep terrain a wide margin this week and avoid travelling on or beneath slopes steeper than 30 degrees until we get more information on how this weak layer is handling the new load of snow.

    (2/18/2026) Photo: Wallowa Avalanche Center

    Weak snow beneath the 2/8 crust is starting to show failures in our stability tests.

Avalanche Discussion

Remember: this forecast is for a large area of terrain, and specific nuances in the snowpack may vary from drainage to drainage.  It is recommended to investigate the snowpack structure on a slope scale before committing to consequential avalanche terrain.  

Use the forecast as a starting point, but continue assessing conditions as you travel. The avalanche danger may be lower where you're skiing, but can change quickly on a slope-by-slope basis, given the nature of persistent weak layers. 

Careful snowpack evaluation will be critical in the coming weeks given the continued possibility of overlapping avalanche problems. Choosing low-consequence terrain will be the key to successfully managing these problems. 

Persistent slabs are notorious for giving little to no feedback. Tracks on a slope do not indicate the absence of a problem.   As we increase the stress on the snowpack through wind-blown snow, it will remain possible for a smaller wind slab avalanche to step down into older and deeper persistent weak layers.   

If you are out in the mountains, please send us an observation of what you saw. All observations are noteworthy and greatly help the forecasters. If you don't want everyone to see where you went you can set it to private and only the forecasters will see it.

Beacon Parks: Thank you to everyone who helped establish the beacon training park at Anthony Lakes (across from the ski lift on Mud Lake) and near the warming shelter at Salt Creek Summit snopark outside of Joseph, OR. These are free tools that we should all take advantage of.  

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