Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Triggering avalanches in wind drifted snow will be possible on Thursday near treeline and above treeline in areas where recently wind blown snow has accumulated. Minimize exposure to these avalanches by avoiding areas with pillowy drifts and sticking to wind sheltered areas. There is a low likelihood of triggering large avalanches on an old snow weak layer in steep terrain around convex, unsupported, and shallow rocky areas; steering around these features will reduce the chances of triggering an avalanche.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs will build throughout the day as new snow comes in. There is still soft snow on the ground that can be moved by the wind in addition to the incoming snow.  The wind is expected to be out of the southerly directions during the day and will shift out of the southwest and southeast. Evaluate lee terrain features for wind loading. Most wind slab avalanches will be small, but keep an eye on terrain features that catch more blowing snow. Isolated features can produce large avalanches.

    Utilize small safe test slopes to check for reactivity of wind slabs before committing to lee terrain. Cracking in the slab and recent avalanches are good indicators you can trigger an avalanche. Monitor the depth of recent wind drifts; deeper slabs can result in larger avalanches.

    Archive photo:

    Example of cracking in wind slab

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    The weak layer related to this problem is the January 31 buried facet layer that is down 70 - 100 cm below the surface and could be deeper in previously wind loaded areas. This layer has been gaining strength, the faceted grains are rounding, and we and have not seen any recent avalanche activity associated with this layer. This problem is trending on its way out. Although unlikely, there could be some isolated pockets of terrain where it could go: steep, convex, shallow rocky areas on shaded slopes. In the last few days, observers have been finding this layer to be 1F (+/-). Before committing to extreme terrain, it is worth digging down to the old snow/recent snow interface to check on the condition of buried facets; it may be weaker in some areas.

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