Avalanche forecast

Newberry

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

On Sunday in the Monument, avalanches remain possible in wind drifted snow at higher elevations on primarily East facing slopes. While these avalanches are most likely to be small, isolated slopes and terrain features could have deeper drifts and consequently larger slides. If in doubt, stick to low angle or low elevation terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds will be calming down on Sunday, however lingering wind slabs from recent storm snow are still possible to trigger, especially with a larger/heavier trigger such as a snowmobile. Indicator slopes (small, low consequence, less steep slopes) and are a great way to safely test current stability before stepping out to higher consequence terrain. Look out for rippled surface textures and pillowy snow to understand where wind slabs likely exist. Red flags such as shooting cracks and recent avalanche activity are great warning signs to back down. 

Avalanche Discussion

In the Newberry Monument, similar to the Central Cascades, snow depth currently has significant variation with elevation and aspect. On Saturday, I measured snow depths up to 100 cm on wind loaded east facing slopes above 7500 ft. In sheltered terrain at similar elevations, snow depth measurements were around the 65 cm range, with about 20 cm coming from the last couple of days. We are beginning to have more snow out here to start playing around and testing the waters. Be sure to keep low snow conditions in mind, as the high exposure ("cliffy") nature of the area can result in a small tumble having significant consequence. Look through the photos below to see how some areas are currently looking for coverage.

Regions covered