Avalanche forecast

Elkhorns

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Up to a foot of new snow has increased avalanche danger on all aspects above 6500'.  While natural avalanches are possible, this is very likely to slide as loose snow with you as the trigger, or as a slab if you encounter more than 6-8 inches of new snow. Evaluate surface conditions and consider the consequences of your terrain choices.  Don't let end-of-a-rotten-season complacency reduce your safe travel habits.

This forecast is sponsored by Wallowa County Search & Rescue

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    This new snow problem defies easy categorization. It may behave as a storm slab in places with 6-8 inches plus of new snow. It may also run as a skier-triggered loose snow avalanche (wet or dry depending on elevation). 

    Since this is denser snow, it may not be easily wind-transportable, but if you see blowing snow, see shooting cracks or suddenly find yourself supported on stiffer snow, seek low angled terrain. 

    All of these problems are likely to run above the 6 inch crust buried on April Fools day, which serves as a slick bed surface.  Likelihood of triggering is high, but unless you find the upper range of snow totals, the size of these avalanches will be small.  

Avalanche Discussion

After the emotional rollercoaster of this winter, April Fool's day delivered a surprise 5-8" of new snow and cooling temperatures last night. Take a step back in your terrain choices, enjoy some new soft snow, and re-engage your avalanche eyes. 

There is high variability between low elevations with a dusting of new snow on wet dirt, middle ones with wettish-snow problems, and upper ones with dry snow problems. We all got gusted by brief squalls of intense winds and rain in the valleys last night. This likely translates to wildly different conditions between and within our mountain zones. Cautious evaluation is key today, but you should get plenty of feedback via mostly small avalanches.  

Yesterday in the Elkhorns 4/1/26, I was easily able to trigger widespread very small new snow avalanches on test slopes. These all had the April Fools crust as a bed surface, which is ski-supportable and sometimes boot-supportable. They fractured with more of a slab character, but the debris moved more like loose wet snow.  The mid and lower snowpack is settled, moist, and not a concern. 

Our snowpack is rapidly declining below 7,000 feet.  There are abundant dirt patches and creeks have opened up.

 

Let's paint this picture together.  Let us know what you are seeing out there through an observation.  It doesn't need to be complex or technical- just a few pictures and a description of what you encountered is super helpful to forecasters.  

Beacon Parks: The beacon park at Salt Creek Summit snopark outside of Joseph, OR has been shut down for the season. The beacon training park at Anthony Lakes (across from the ski lift on Mud Lake) will remain open as long as there is enough snow.

Forecasting Season Ending April 5th: Sunday, April 5th, will be our last official Avalanche Forecast for this season. If a significant weather event impacts our region past this date, we may issue an update to our General Advisory Product.  

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