Avalanche Forecast

Light rain and warm temperatures in the Olympics Friday will bring limited avalanche problems to the area. In areas where soft snow exist, beware of a developing Loose Wet avalanche problem. These Loose Wet avalanches will likely be localized to steep, normally shaded, slopes.

Light snowfall and higher winds may occur at the upper elevations in the above treeline band. As snow begins to accumulate, keep watch for developing wind slabs on Northerly aspect.

Early season hazards still exist. Many creek beds have still not filled in for the winter.

A strong and well settled snowpack exist throughout the area. Several days of above freezing temperatures in the Olympics has allowed any lingering shallow wind slabs to gain strength.

Layers can be found in the upper snowpack, but current conditions and observations do not suggest that any of these layers will be of concern.

The height of snow across the terrain is quite variable. Numerous obstacles still exist at all elevations.

Observations

NWAC Pro Observer Matt Schonwald was at Hurricane Ridge Thursday, January 3rd. Matt reported he did not find a surface crust in the area and travel conditions were quite good. Observations showed a strong and well bonded snowpack which was unlikely to be affected by incoming precipitation. Matt noted the highly variable snow cover with snow heights changing by 50% within just a few feet in places.