Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

On Monday Wind Slab avalanches will be possible near treeline and could be large on alpine slopes.  Shifting wind directions and variable wind speeds mean that Wind Slabs could exist on any aspect.  If you choose to ride at higher elevations make good observations to assess where wind loading has occurred.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Today I toured at treeline elevations and I was a bit surprised at how minimal the Wind Slab problem was.  Winds have been a bit lighter and more variable than we are used to.

    There remains a lot of soft snow available for the wind to blow around.  Winds from the South will be getting stronger by midday on Monday.  These newer wind slabs will exist along side any wind slabs remaining from our last storm (likely at higher elevations or in particularly windy spots).

    Make good observations of both recent and previous windloading.  Look for variable snow textures and blowing snow as clues to the most recent wind transport, while cornice growth and the depth of new snow might be better indicators of previous wind loading.  As always, recent avalanches and cracking in the surface snow are going to be your most pertinent signs of unstable wind-loaded snow.

Avalanche Discussion

The uniformly light and dry snow surface that we woke to on Sunday likely varies a bit by aspect as well as elevation after a day of mixed weather and significant sunshine on some terrain.  My snowpack observations have been focused on the upper snowpack as direct action avalanches like Wind Slabs are the most likely.  Today I was able to find some disintegrating burried surface hoar in one profile (7000 ft. NE) down 52 cm., but it produced only resistant test results that aren't particularly associated with avalanche activity.

Regions covered