Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

With another warm, sunny day in store for Monday, wet avalanches are still a concern across all aspects. You might be able to push an avalanche, but snow falling from cliffs and rocks is also possible. As temperatures climb and the snow turns mushy, shift to lower-angle slopes or more supportable surfaces, and limit your time traveling beneath cliffs and rocks. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Warm temperatures continue to drive wet avalanche activity in the West South. A better overnight refreeze is possible Sunday night, but any surface crust will break down quickly once the sun comes up. As the snow softens, wet loose avalanches will be easier to trigger, especially later in the day. 

    Use small test slopes to see how easy it is for the surface snow to slide. Work your way up in the terrain, starting with smaller, less consequential slopes. Start the day early, while temperatures are cooler and the snow is still supportable. As the day heats up, move off large steep slopes and seek out more supportable snow.

    Along with wet avalanches, the continued warming could weaken cornices and cause snow to shed off of rocks and cliffs. Limit your time traveling on or beneath these features, especially during peak daytime temperatures.

Avalanche Discussion

Sunday was another warm and calm spring day. Paradise weather station hit 61 degrees F at 5400' by mid-afternoon. Temperatures at 5000' have been above freezing since April 3rd. Observers around Paradise reported continued natural and skier-triggered wet loose avalanche activity. 

Monday is set to bring another warm and sunny day to the West South. Temperatures will cool slightly in the afternoon, but it's unlikely to have a large impact during the day. The snowpack currently consists of 12-15 inches of snow on top of the burly, thick 3/25 crust. Fortunately, this crust will limit any wet avalanche activity to the snow sitting above it.

The warm temperatures continue to degrade the travel conditions at lower elevations. Plan a little extra time to navigate the thin coverage, weakened snow bridges, and opened up creeks. As the day heats up, snow may begin to shed from rocks and cliffs overhead. On the volcanoes, shedding rime ice can be just as serious as shedding snow.

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