Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Rain and warm temperatures have consolidated the snowpack over the last week.  It is unlikely, but not impossible to trigger an avalanche failing on weaker snow buried 2-4 feet in the snowpack.  Look for signs of wet loose avalanches such as rollerballs/pinwheels.  If you are sinking up to the top of your boots in wet snow, avoid steeper slopes and avoid being above terrain traps.  

Today's forecast is sposored by Brooks Painting

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    The Blues have received 3.5" of water over the last week.  Unfortunately, most of it has fallen in the wrong form!  Rain and warm temperatures have created a multitude of crusts within the snowpack.  When temperatures remain above freezing and the upper snowpack loses cohesion, wet loose avalanches will become likely.  Look for signs of wet loose avalanches such as rollerballs/pinwheels and if you step off your machine or boards, if you are up to your boots in wet snow, it's time to scoot!  These avalanches may remain quite small, but consider the consequences of even a small avalanche carrying you into terrain traps such as gullies, creeks, over cliff bands, or into trees.  

    Photo: Nick Burks

    Recent rollerballs and pinwheels such as this are good signs that you can find wet loose avalanches. 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–2

    The warm temperatures and rain have helped the persistent slab problem in the Blues.  The loose, sugary, faceted snow near the ground is showing signs of gaining strength- but as they say- "don't trust a facet until it is in the river!".  Recent snowpack tests yesterday from forecaster Nick Burks show his whole column failing on these facets that sit above a very hard icy bed surface.  Slab + Weak Layer + Bed Surface= the potential to trigger an avalanche.  

    (1/24/2024)

    This Compression Test failed in weak snow just above a Knife hard crust on the 19th tap. There was a big pop and drop.

    Photo: Nick Burks

Avalanche Discussion

The average height of snow found in the Blues yesterday at 5300' was around 4 feet.  There was a few inches of new snow at the surface, with numerous melt-freeze and rain crusts throughout the middle of the snowpack.  Rain Runnels (water channels that appear as indents in the snow) were evident, and Nick found the most recent rain to have only saturated the snow down to about 6" below the surface.  The riding might not be the best these days in the Blues, but out of all of our forecast zones, this is where you will have the least chance of triggering a deadly persistent slab avalanche.  We are still not out of the woods though.  Use safe travel protocols, avoid riding above terrain traps, and don't hang out below avalanche runout zones.  Check out Nick's observation from yesterday here.

 

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