Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Wind slab avalanches will be small and possible to trigger.  Westerly wind will easily blow and drift new snow to lee slopes. Monitor the depth of wind slabs and be cautious of wind loaded slopes in steep and consequential terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    With minimal snow coming in over night, wind slab avalanches will be on the small side. Triggering a small wind slab in steep terrain, could knock you off your feet. Otherwise, the potential for going for a ride is minimal. 

    Monitor depth of new wind slabs, if you observe wind drifted snow deeper than 8" then triggering a wind slab avalanche will be something  to watch out for. 

    Wind can drift snow many times deeper than the snowfall accumulation. 

    Wind slabs tend to form below ridges and high points and on other features that catch blowing snow. Look for visual signs such as pillows of wind difted snow, and a wavy or uneven surface texture to indicate a surface may be wind loaded. Recently formed cornices can also be clues that wind slabs are present. Cracking in the new formed slabs on small test slopes is a good indication that you could trigger a wind slab avalanche in the right terrain.

     

Avalanche Discussion

By Friday evening, only a trace amount of snow had fallen and wind slabs did not materialize on Friday. The forecast is calling for 2-4" of new snow by saturday morning and I expect wind slabs to be small and manageable for the most part. If the rare event happens and we get more snow than expected, wind slabs could become larger.

No active weak layers are lurking below the surface. Any avalanche problems in the coming days will be related to incoming storm snow. 

 

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