Avalanche Forecast

Partly to mostly cloudy Monday with light winds and moderate freezing levels. This will not change the overall low avalanche danger and there are no highlighted avalanche problems expected in the Olympics. 

As a general backcountry travel safety note, watch for terrain hazards (exposed rocks, trees, streams, etc.) at lower elevations and on wind scoured aspects. Long slides and potentially dangerous consequences remain as the result of falls on slick surface crusts on many more northerly aspects. Take extra caution when traversing steep slopes and be prepared to self-arrest if necessary.  

Mild temperatures and a few light rain showers were received on Hurricane Ridge Saturday, followed by cloudy weather and a slight cooling trend Sunday. This recent weather has not appreciably changed the overall stable snowpack and current low danger.

A week ago, Hurricane Ridge received light snow last Sunday before receiving about 2 inches of rain Sunday night and Monday. 

Dry and unseasonably warm weather followed the rain this past week, through Friday. In the Olympics, this allowed the snowpack to drain, consolidate and generally reset the entire snowpack producing melt-freeze crusts of varying thicknesses. Mostly supportable crust layers formed during the clear nights midweek. The snow depths remain very low in areas around Hurricane Ridge with only about 50 cm on shaded north slopes below tree line. Many windward or southerly aspects have little to no snow cover. 

Travel and ski conditions remain very poor, to say the least.