Hazard remains moderate for Douglas Island at upper and mid elevations and low at lower elevations. Wet loose avalanches are the primary concern, however cornice failures and wet slab avalanches are also possible. As we continue into the spring thaw, the potential for avalanches to step down into deeper, older weak layers is increasing. Wet loose debris are running large, traveling far, and producing significant debris piles. Be mindful of steep slopes leading into terrain traps.
If you’d like your business to sponsor a forecast, please email: [email protected]
Wet loose avalanches often start small but can grow large as they entrain snow. Wet loose avalanches are especially hazardous in steep exposed terrain and above terrain traps such as cliffs and gulleys. Signs of wet loose activity include wet saturated surface snow that feels unconsolidated, pinwheels and rollerballs on slopes, and snow shedding off rocks and trees due to solar heating.
Cornices are unpredictable and can fail without warning. Cornice failures can put a significant load on the slopes below them which can often trigger large avalanches. When traveling on ridgelines, cornices often fail much further back from their edges than expected. Cornices should be given a wide berth when traveling on corniced ridges and time spent under cornices should be minimized.
Wet slab avalanches occur when water penetrates the snowpack and causes a failure at a buried weak layer or interface. Solar radiation, which produces meltwater that percolates through the snowpack, can trigger wet slab avalanches, along with rain on snow events. Wet slabs are generally more destructive and more difficult to manage than wet loose avalanches; they can break widely and without clear warning signs.
There is little change from yesterday in either weather or snowpack: cornice falls or entraining wet loose avalanches have the potential to step down deeper into the snowpack, affecting older weak layers, and triggering large avalanches.
Looking ahead to the week, the 2,398' forecast calls for temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s, accompanied by precipitation. Precipitation is likely to fall as rain, with higher elevations seeing snow. Rain-on-snow events often trigger large wet slab avalanches. Heavy rain on a homogeneous, unconsolidated snowpack also has the potential to activate glide avalanche cycles.
If you are traveling on Douglas throughout the week, it is important to continue practicing good backcountry travel habits. As we move further into the spring thaw, remain vigilant: evaluate snow and terrain carefully, and identify features of concern. Expect riding, skiing, and sledding conditions similar to yesterday, with slushy, sticky, and “gloppy” snow.
