Avalanche forecast

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Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

You can trigger wet avalanches on steep slopes at most elevations. Stay out from under steep overhead terrain as some avalanches could be big enough to bury or kill you. Temperatures will stay mild following Wednesday's rain.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    You may be able to trigger wet avalanches on many slopes over 35 degrees. Some of these could be large and dangerous. Use caution around all avalanche terrain, and make sure to stay out from under steep slopes. Watch for rollerballs, pinwheels, and recent wet avalanches as indicators of the danger. Natural avalanches are slowing, though they could still occur on steep sunny slopes. 

    A previously dry upper snowpack got wet from rain on Wednesday. Rain reached all but the highest elevations. Temperatures will cool, but not dramatically. On Thursday, freezing levels will hover around 5,000ft.

    (11/29/2021)

    An example of rollerballs from a rain event on from 11/28. Slate Lake, SE

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Stick to windward, scoured, or low angled slopes to avoid triggering avalanches. Watch for blowing snow, cracking in the snow, and recent avalanches as signs of the danger. You could trigger avalanches that could be big enough to bury you on leeward sides of ridges and terrain features at the highest elevations. Wind likely transported snow and formed fresh slabs since Tuesday. There's a lot of uncertainty as we have no recent observations from above treeline. 

    (1/9/2022)

    A natural wind slab avalanche (D2) that likely ran on January 7th. West Rib of Silverstar. NW, 7,300ft

    Photo: Will Govus

Avalanche Discussion

Wednesday was a wet and rainy day with no new field observations. On Tuesday, observers reported widespread shallow (5-8") storm slab avalanches in dense new snow. Prior to the storm, observers found a variety of snow surfaces including thin surface hoar, sun crusts, and decomposing snowflakes. On, Monday observers reported a rain crust about 8" below the surface that exists below 5,300ft and roughly west of Delancey Ridge. 

A significant winter storm wrapped up on the 7th. In the Highway 20 corridor observers noted a widespread cycle with avalanches up to D2.5.  Slab avalanches were reported at low elevations in the eastern part of the zone. An even more widespread cycle occurred at lower elevations and in sagebrush country in the East Central zone, including in places like along Hwy 97A above the Columbia River.  From January 5-7th, the Washington Pass area picked up roughly 3.3 inches of water with 2' of settling storm snow.  Mazama saw 18" over this period.  The storm ended with extreme westerly winds that transported significant snow at all elevations on the 7th and 8th.  

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