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Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Dec 19th, 2018–Dec 20th, 2018
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
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be considerable
Alpine
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable
Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate
Below Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be moderate

Expect dangerous avalanche conditions. Heavy snowfall and strong winds will continue to create large avalanches. Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential Thursday.

Discussion

Discussion 

Persistent weak layers have been identified in the adjacent East Slopes Central forecast zone. Although we have no information about snow conditions from this zone, the Persistent layers are likely to exist here as well.

Avalanche danger may be slightly mitigated due to low snow conditions below treeline, but coverage is rapidly increasing. 

Check the adjacent zones for more information that may pertain to this area.

Forecast Schedule

General avalanche and snowpack information will be provided during the winter. However, at this time we do not have enough specific snowpack information to issue an avalanche hazard rating for the East Slopes South zone.  

Snowpack Discussion

Regional Synopsis: December 19, 2018

Why has the avalanche danger been so high for so long? Two reasons: A very active and wet weather pattern and widespread persistent weak layer.

For perspective, the approximate snow totals from 12/9-12/19 are:

  • Mt Baker: 102”

  • Washington Pass: 55”

  • Stevens Pass: 76” mid-mountain

  • Snoqualmie Pass: 68” mid-mountain

  • Crystal Mountain 70” Green Valley

  • Paradise: 78”

  • Mt Hood Meadows: 44” mid-mountain

  • Olympics: 48”

In many areas, a layer of buried surface hoar and/or weak sugary facets was buried on December 9th. This layer has been the cause in numerous natural, explosive, and skier triggered avalanches. As this layer gets deeper it gets harder to assess … in short, the scenario is tricky and getting more dangerous by the day.

Higher snow totals along the Hwy 542 corridor /Mt Baker area have driven several avalanche cycles during this period. Loading from recent storms has been more incremental to the east and south and we have not yet experienced a widespread cycle …

When will we reach the breaking point? It’s hard to say. What we do know is we have a deep weak layer, reports of very large explosives triggered slides at Mission Ridge and Crystal Mountain, and more storms on the way.

Be patient and continue to stick to lower angle slopes with nothing above you.  This is a good time to avoid areas where avalanches can start, run, and stop.

We’d like to thank all of you who have sent NWAC your observations. If you are out in the mountains, let us know what you see.

Avalanche Problems

Persistent Slabs

Explosive triggered slide (12/18/2018)

We are entering dangerous times because many slopes could be close to failure, and all that is needed is a trigger. Avalanches may be very wide and will certainly be life-threatening.

In recent days, there have been reports of skier triggered, explosive triggered, and remotely triggered avalanches on Mission Ridge on a layer of buried facets above a late November crust near the ground. These were on Northwest to East aspects, near and above treeline. With the recent accumulation and wind, we have likely added a slab to areas where previously the upper snowpack wasn’t cohesive enough to communicate a fracture with the weak layer. Expect slides to fail near the ground and may propagate long distances. Stick to slopes of less than 30 degrees. Avoid terrain where slides can start, run, and stop, especially if you notice any whumpfing, shooting cracks, or recent deep avalanches.  

Release of a cohesive layer of soft to hard snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slabs.

 

The best ways to manage the risk from Persistent Slabs is to make conservative terrain choices. They can be triggered by light loads and weeks after the last storm. The slabs often propagate in surprising and unpredictable ways. This makes this problem difficult to predict and manage and requires a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty.

 

This Persistent Slab was triggered remotely, failed on a layer of faceted snow in the middle of the snowpack, and crossed several terrain features.

Persistent slabs can be triggered by light loads and weeks after the last storm. You can trigger them remotely and they often propagate across and beyond terrain features that would otherwise confine wind and storm slabs. Give yourself a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood: Likely

Expected Size: 2 - 2

Storm Slabs

Explosive triggered slab that stepped down. (12/18/2018)

Any shallow storm or wind slab has the potential to step down into deeper weak layers near the ground, turning a shallow slab avalanche into a much wider, life-threatening one. Look for signs of instability like shooting cracks within the new snow, and recent slab avalanches. A bump in wind speeds and a slight cooling trend as snowfall tapers could create wind slabs in exposed areas near and above treeline. Avoid slopes with recently wind driven snow such as cross-loaded gullies. Give cornices a healthy amount of respect if nearing them on ridgelines.  

At lower elevations, the rain is percolating through the snowpack. Be leery of saturated snow, as any wet loose slides could turn into wet slabs. Stay off of steep, saturated slopes if they haven't refrozen yet.

Release of a soft cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within the storm snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slab problems typically last between a few hours and few days. Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

 

You can reduce your risk from Storm Slabs by waiting a day or two after a storm before venturing into steep terrain. Storm slabs are most dangerous on slopes with terrain traps, such as timber, gullies, over cliffs, or terrain features that make it difficult for a rider to escape off the side.

 

Storm slabs usually stabilize within a few days, and release at or below the trigger point. They exist throughout the terrain, and can be avoided by waiting for the storm snow to stabilize.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood: Likely

Expected Size: 1 - 1

Loose Wet

Rain at lower elevations may trigger loose-wet avalanches. Even small loose-wet avalanches can be dangerous, especially if they carry you into a terrain trap, such as a creek bed, over cliffs or into trees.

Release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. They generally move slowly, but can contain enough mass to cause significant damage to trees, cars or buildings. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

 

Travel when the snow surface is colder and stronger. Plan your trips to avoid crossing on or under very steep slopes in the afternoon. Move to colder, shadier slopes once the snow surface turns slushly. Avoid steep, sunlit slopes above terrain traps, cliffs areas and long sustained steep pitches.

 

Several loose wet avalanches, and lots of pinwheels and roller balls.

Loose wet avalanches occur where water is running through the snowpack, and release at or below the trigger point. Avoid terrain traps such as cliffs, gullies, or tree wells. Exit avalanche terrain when you see pinwheels, roller balls, a slushy surface, or during rain-on-snow events.

Elevations: Below Treeline.

Likelihood: Possible

Expected Size: 1 - 1