Avalanche forecast

Olympics

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

A few more inches of snow and periods of moderate winds will form new and shallow wind slabs near ridgelines. Watch for cracking in the new snow and use small test slopes to tease out if new snow has bonded poorly to the underlying crust. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    While this isn't the storm of the century,  there will be enough snow and wind to form fresh wind slabs near and just below ridgelines overnight.  The new snow will be layering on top of a crust and a potential bed surface for avalanches to run on. 

    Pay attention to obvious clues of instability in the new snow like long, shooting cracks running from your feet or any recent avalanches.  You can use small slopes to test the bond of the new snow to the underlying crust. You're more likely to find and trigger a wind slab near and especially above treeline on Saturday.  Use caution on all aspects you find freshly drifted snow and use care around terrain traps where even a small avalanche could cause injury.  

    If the sun comes out Saturday, it won't take long for steep sunny slopes to start to shed snow downhill in the form of rollerballs or pinwheels.  Small wet loose avalanches are possible if those sunbreaks stick around longer than expected.  If you find yourself in this situation on Saturday, move to a shadier cooler aspect or lower-angle terrain.  

    (2/10/2023)

    You might trigger a shallow wind slab below ridgelines like the one in this photo from earlier in the season. 

    Public Field Report:  A skier triggered wind slab on the top of Lost Bowl. N, 5200ft, Hurricane Ridge.  

    Photo: Vince Reichheld

Avalanche Discussion

Backcountry travelers near and below treeline in the Hurricane Ridge area found a supportable crust early in the day on Friday followed by increasing snow showers, improving snow conditions, and moderate WNW ridgeline winds in the afternoon.  

On Wednesday, pro-observer Sam Luthy found a generally stable snowpack with surface crusts on most aspects near and below treeline.  Evidence of the recent warm-up and previous small wet loose avalances/rollerballs were easy to find.  As we head into the weekend with much colder weather, these rough surfaces are now firm and re-frozen and could be a lurking hazard if hidden by the new snow.   In the southeastern part of the range, the recent warm-up was also noted in this Mt Ellinor observation on Wednesday. 

Take a look at the media gallery and note the large size of some cornices. Stand far back from their edges, and be leery of traveling beneath them. Even with the cooler weather, it's best to give them space as we head further into the spring. Keep those Observations coming and let's close out the season on a high note! 

Regions covered