Avalanche forecast

Elkhorns

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago.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

Unusual weather means unusual avalanche hazard. Unseasonably warm temperatures mean it is possible to trigger a large, wet avalanche today. Focus on the consequence, not the likelihood, of triggering a large, destructive avalanche and avoid very steep, consequential terrain.

Today's forecast is sponsored by the Wallowa County Gamblers Snowmobile Club.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

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

    All of our forecast areas have had several consecutive days of above freezing temperatures, meaning snow is settling at a rapid rate and liquid water may start running through the snowpack. With all of the crusts and weak layers that exist in our snowpack, we have the structure to potentially see large or very large wet slab avalanches.

    Wet slab avalanches are notoriously destructive and difficult to forecast, while the chance of triggering such an avalanche may be low the consequence would likely be catastrophic. Avoid traveling on very steep terrain until temps drop and the snowpack can solidify.

    As the temps stay high, you should also be wary of wet-loose avalanches, and cornice fall, both of which could be large and destructive today. Avoid travelling on or below very steep, rocky terrain where wet-loose is likely, and give cornices a wide margin, both when travelling on ridgelines above them, and any time you are on a slope in the run out below them.

    (Last season 3/25/2025)

    The crown in the bottom middle of this photo distinguishes it as a wet slab.  Nearby wet loose and rollerballs are all red flags that likely came first.   

    Photo: Victor McNeil

Avalanche Discussion

Those who have been tracking the conditions along with us may be wondering, what happened to the persistent slab problem? Warming trends over the past week have almost eliminated the Valentine's Day Buried Surface Hoar layer, which was one of the persistent weak layers that we were tracking. The deeper persistent layers, the January Facets (down 2-4 feet deep), are still around but with unseasonably high temperatures the biggest concern is now water pooling on these crust/facet layers and causing the now wet and consolidated slab above it to release. 

Wet slab avalanches are notoriously destructive and difficult to forecast, while the chance of triggering such an avalanche may be low the consequence would likely be catastrophic. Avoid traveling on very steep terrain until temps drop and the snowpack can solidify.

As the temps stay high, you should also be wary of wet-loose avalanches, which are most likely on very steep, rocky, south facing terrain and could get as large as D2 today. Additionally be sure to give cornices a wide margin, both when travelling on ridgelines above them, and any time you are on a slope in the run out below them.

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. 

Regions covered