Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Above freezing temperatures and rising freezing levels today will increase the potential for wet loose activity.  Steep slopes, especially those with exposure to the sun will be the most likely aspects to see avalanche activity.  If you observe roller balls, pinwheels, or if you sink down above your boot tops when you step off your sled it's time to change aspect, move higher in elevation, or avoid traveling on or under steep slopes.  

Forecast presented by @onxbackcountry. onX Backcountry is a GPS  navigation and mapping tool designed with your backcountry objectives in mind, equipped with Avalanche Forecast and Slope Angle layers, Offline Maps and more.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    If you observe the surface snow forming roller balls, pinwheels, or if you find yourself sinking in above your boot tops... it's time to consider simpler terrain.  Yesterday temperatures neared 40 degrees at 5000'. No hard freeze happened in the Blues overnight. This will allow the snowpack to soften and lose cohesion rapidly today, especially on slopes facing the sun. Stay off and out from underneath steep slopes >35 degrees in the afternoon where the stout rain crust from last week will likely create a slick bed surface for the snow from earlier in the week to slide on.

Avalanche Discussion

The problem for today is temperatures have remained above freezing overnight. Think of a ice cream. Specifically...think of soft-serve ice cream and harder scooped ice cream on a cone. Guess which one will drip and melt faster? The soft serve. With no hard freeze overnight and temperatures reaching close to 40 degrees yesterday the snow surface has remained in that soft serve state. With a little sun today and climbing temperatures you can expect the upper snowpack to become unsupportable and lose cohesion rapidly. The new snow from earlier in the week has not bonded well to the stout rain crust from last week. On steep slopes facing the sun, it will be increasingly likely for a rider to trigger a wet loose avalanche. While these slides may be small, the consequences are not. If taken off your sled or skis you could accelerate rapidly on the rain crust and be pummelled into trees, rocks, or taken over cliffs. The consequences for body and limb could be severe.

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