Avalanche forecast

Elkhorns

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

New snow and strong winds will create dangerous avalanche conditions today.   The most likely place to trigger a large to very large avalanche will be along exposed terrain at mid- to upper-elevations, where the new snow has been loaded into thick drifts.  To reduce your exposure, avoid being on or underneath steep slopes with wind-drifted snow.  

Today's forecast is sponsored by: Robert Brooks Painting

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong to extreme winds have been recorded at all upper elevation wind stations in the last 24 hours.  The direction has mostly out of the West/Southwest.  The wind has blown new snow into sensitive drifts along exposed terrain.  The new snow is sitting on a crust of variable thickness that was formed on many aspects earlier this week.  This created a solid bed surface on which newly formed wind slabs can easily be released.  

    Strong to Extreme wind speeds can create unfamiliar loading patterns- or it might have just blown all of our snow to Idaho!  Expect to find windslab development lower on slopes than you might commonly see.  

    Look for clues to wind loading patterns in the terrain: 

    • Dune-like features downwind of stripped locations
    • Snow surface textures that look rippled and stiff 
    • Note if your machine or boards are staying on top of a stiff and supportable slab of snow 
    • Cornice growth along ridgelines- wind slabs are often most sensitive downwind of corniced ridgelines
    • Shooting cracks/collapsing on the surface
    • Patterns of cross-loading on mid-slope terrain features.  

    The best riding and the least exposure today will be in wind-sheltered locations.  

    (2/10/2026)

    Look for stiff and textured snow as a clue to wind slab development.  Other clues include wind stripped terrain upwind of loaded ridgelines, cornice development, and dune like drifts.  Shooting cracks on the surface of the snow may be present in sensitive wind slabs.  If you see this, it is a clear sign to choose less consequential terrain.  

    Photo: Caleb Merrill

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    The Valentine's Buried Surface Hoar layer, along with weak faceted snow from the January Drought (buried on Feb 8), exists in the upper 3 feet of the snowpack. If you trigger a slab avalanche on either or both of these fragile weak layers, you will likely produce a large to very large avalanche.   

    A new load of snow and wind-blown snow will challenge the weak layers in our snowpack.  It will be prudent to give steep, consequential avalanche terrain a wide berth until this storm passes.  

    Persistent Slab avalanches can release in surprising ways:

    • They can be much wider than expected 
    • They can break above you and pull into relatively gentle terrain.
    • Persistent slab avalanches can and will release on slopes that already have snowmachine or ski tracks. 
    • Although unlikely right now, you can trigger them remotely—from flat terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes.  

    Specific terrain features that you should avoid: 

    • Rocky areas that are also convex rollovers- these areas may harbor a shallower snowpack and could be easier to trigger a persistent slab avalanche.
    • Slopes on the north half of the compass that are protected from the wind but are connected to larger open slopes that may have had previous wind loading.  

    If you have uncertainty in managing this avalanche problem, you are in good company.   The absence of obvious signs of instability, such as collapsing or whumphing of the snowpack, does not necessarily mean a slope is safe to ride.  Avoidance is our top (and our only) tool when it comes to dealing with a persistent slab.   Further slope scale investigation is warranted if you decide to commit to consequential terrain.  

    (2/26/2026)

    2 Natural Avalanches observed near Pine Lakes in the Southern Wallowas.  

    Photo: Victor McNeil

Avalanche Discussion

As mentioned above, your primary concern today will be Wind Slabs in exposed terrain.  Winds at these speeds can load slopes lower in start zones than you might expect.  Wind slabs are usually hard slab avalanches and will often release above a rider once they are on the slope.  They are also often triggered where the slab is thinner- towards the sides of the slab or near the bottom.  Steer clear of steep wind-loaded terrain today.  

We still have persistent weak layers lurking in our snowpack.  While the distribution of the Valentine's Day Buried Surface Hoar is specific to more sheltered terrain, it has been found on northerly aspects as well as Southwest aspects- especially in the Western Wallowas near Flagstaff Butte, the Southern Wallowas, and in the Elkhorns.   The January Facets, now 3-4 feet deep are widespread throughout our forecast zones.  It's best to focus on the consequences (not the likelihood) of triggering a very large persistent slab avalanche.   Reduce your exposure through conservative terrain selection until this storm passes.  

If you choose to recreate in steep terrain (greater than 35 degrees) that is sheltered from the wind, be on the lookout for dry loose avalanches or shallow storm slab avalanches.  While these may be smaller than a large wind slab or very large persistent slab, they could be easily triggered, especially where the new snow is sitting atop a crust.   Avoid riding above terrain traps such as gullies, benches, or cliff bands.  

Observations:  Let's paint this picture together.  Let us know what you are seeing out there through an observation.  It doesn't need to be complex or technical- just a few pictures and a description of what you encountered is super helpful to forecasters.  

Beacon Parks: Thank you to everyone who helped establish the beacon training park at Anthony Lakes (across from the ski lift on Mud Lake) and near the warming shelter at Salt Creek Summit snopark outside of Joseph, OR. This is a valuable free resource that everyone should use to practice their companion rescue skills. 

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