Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

New snow since Monday will form into a more cohesive slab today, as temperatures rise above freezing.   New snow (up to 1') is sitting on a firm crust, which provides a slick surface for the snow to slide on.  Avoid traveling on or underneath steep South-West Facing slopes later in the day, especially if you see roller balls and pinwheels on the snow surface.  

Use caution as losing an edge in firm conditions could easily turn into a slide-for-life situation.  

Forecast presented by  @onxbackcountry. onX Backcountry is a GPS navigation and mapping tool designed with your backcountry objectives in mind, equipped with Avalanche Forecast and Slope Angle layers, Offline Maps and more.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    With upwards of 8-12" of new snow in the Blues since Monday and warm temperatures in the forecast today, it's possible to trigger a storm slab on slopes >35 degrees today.  You need to check to see how well the new snow has bonded to the old interface.  On most slopes, the new snow has landed on a hard melt-freeze crust, and with today's warming will form into a more cohesive slab.  If you center punch a more open terrain feature with a convex roll, you might find yourself in a bit of trouble.  Use caution as losing an edge in firm conditions could easily turn into a slide-for-life situation.  

  • Loose Wet

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

    With a sunny day in the forecast, fresh snow, and high temperatures in the upper 30's it's likely we will see small Wet Loose avalanches today on all aspects that see significant sunshine.  The NW-N-NE aspects will probably be the only aspects spared today.  If you feel the surface snow warming, it's time to look for non-avalanche terrain, change to a shadier aspect, or go to a higher elevation band.  Avoid traveling under steep sun-drenched slopes later in the day.    If you see roller balls or pinwheels then the surface snow is warming and the likelihood of triggering a wet loose avalanche has increased.  

Avalanche Discussion

We had a nice refresh in the Blues over the past 48 hours.  After last week's heatwave, it was feeling more like winter again yesterday.  It began snowing on Monday and the storm finished up yesterday morning in most areas.  Overall around 8-12" of new snow has been observed in the mountains.  In some areas, you will find wind drifted pockets, where the snow has loaded up gully's and other terrain features that capture snow.  On any solar aspect SE-S-W, the new snow fell on a stout crust from last week's heatwave.   Challenging uphill conditions exist, as the new snow has not bonded to the crust.  It would be easy to lose an edge and take a serious fall or get out of control on your snowmobile.  Take it easy, until the warmup over the next couple of days allows the new snow to more firmly bond.  

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