Olympics

Be prepared for variable travel conditions while we wait for more snow and cooler temperatures to arrive midweek.  Avoid extreme terrain features where you find yourself sinking into wet or punchy snow. 

While we wait for cooler weather to arrive,  think about avoiding extreme terrain features where you find wet or punchy snow.  It's here you may trigger a loose wet avalanche on Monday.  While these avalanches will likely be small,  don't let them catch you by surprise near cliff bands, or other terrain traps.  

Light North winds, sunny skies and a slight warming trend made for a pleasant weekend at the Ridge.  NPS staff reported small loose wet avalanches on an East aspect Saturday, but no slab avalanches have been observed since much earlier in the week.  If you look around it's easy to find evidence of the major avalanche cycle from early last week.  Hurricane Ridge received more than 4 inches of precipitation over three days ending March 1st.  Fluctuating snow levels produced heavy snow, and at times rain near treeline during this storm cycle.  Debris piles litter the landscape from a widespread avalanche cycle. Some shaded slopes produced very large (D2.5-3) slab avalanches. The most notable of these slides occurred in North Bowl (N, 5200’, WS-N-R4-D3-O) where the crown stretches nearly the entire width of the feature. On other aspects and in rocky terrain numerous smaller slides occurred.  Give yourself extra time to navigate variable snow condition that may include breakable surface crusts,  frozen avalanche debris, bumpy rain runnels, heavy wet snow, and pockets of dry powder. 

2021-22 Forecast Schedule: Avalanchedanger ratings will be issued for the Olympics every Friday through Sunday and during mid-week holidays. During the week when the Hurricane Ridge road is closed, forecast information will be updated daily to include expected conditions and relevant travel advice under the No Rating label.