Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 13th, 2015–Feb 14th, 2015

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Olympics.

Cooler temperatures should end the possibility of wet snow avalanches and maintain low danger in all areas.

Detailed Forecast

Little change in the low avalanche danger is expected until significant new snowfall is received. Cooler temperatures Saturday should allow for surface crust formation near and above treeline and limit the possibility of avalanches.

Snowpack Discussion

The meager amounts of snow left in the Hurricane Ridge vicinity are not currently creating an avalanche problem near or below treeline. South slopes at Hurricane are devoid of snow. On shaded or north slopes near and above treeline, there are up to a few feet of stable and consolidated rounded grains or melt forms and crusts. Continued very mild temperatures into the mid 40's Thursday and hitting 50 F Friday are maintaining shallow wet surface snow, where there is snow.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.