Avalanche Forecast
Jan 16th, 2019–Jan 17th, 2019
Alpine
1:
Low
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be low
Treeline
1:
Low
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low
Below Treeline
1:
Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low
Alpine
3:
Considerable
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable
Treeline
3:
Considerable
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be considerable
Below Treeline
2:
Moderate
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be moderate
Regions: Cascades - West.
The Bottom Line: The little bit of snow on Thursday will not be enough to increase the avalanche danger in the Mountain Loop area. You may encounter difficult travel conditions caused by breakable crust and/or very firm snow surfaces. Even though the danger is Low, keep your eyes open, talk to your partners, and spend time identifying the avalanche terrain as you travel.
Snow and Avalanche Discussion
Thursday will bring an end to the nice weather we’ve enjoyed the last few days. The good news is that means snow. The bad news is there won’t be that much of it until Thursday night into Friday. So, we’ll have another day of generally safe avalanche conditions. Remember, Low danger doesn’t mean no danger. If you travel to higher elevations or into more extreme terrain there’s a chance you could still find unstable snow. It’s always a good idea to do proper trip planning, exercise good group communication, and keep your eyes open for unstable snow as you travel.
The nice weather over the last few days developed weak snow on and near the surface. Sugary facets and small surface hoar were reported from the Mt Baker area this week. At lower elevations, this weak snow sits above a crust. As the new snow accumulates, pay attention to what the new snow is falling on. How is it bonding to the old snow surface? We will want to watch this new interface as the snow piles up.