Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Olympics.
Dangerous avalanche conditions have developed in the Hurricane Ridge area where natural slab avalanche activity was reported on Sunday. Weather conditions will ease on Monday, allowing the threat of natural avalanches to decrease. Two feet of snow since Friday now sits on 5-7 inches of very weak snow above a crust. Winds appear to have stiffened the snow into a slab in some areas creating our avalanche problem. Avalanches will run fast, far and bury you deeply if triggered.
Discussion
3 natural avalanches were reported by park rangers at Hurricane Ridge on S and E faces around 5000 ft as of Sunday afternoon. The slabs appeared shallow from a distance, but the paths were actively re-loading and the time of avalanche trigger was either Saturday or Sunday.
A very weak snow interface was confirmed down 26 inches (failed on isolation of a column) on an E aspect at 5100 ft. The old snow beneath that interface was examined by NWAC professionals in the Hurricane Ridge area on Thursday. They found 5-7 inches of low-density snow above the most recent crust surfaces. The snow surface was universally weak with more facets (weak snow) on north through east aspects near and above treeline in the terrain they traveled. Avalanches are more likely to fail on these weaker, older snow interfaces. Anywhere the snow has any cohesion at all, it will become a slab. Large and dangerous avalanches may be triggered on Monday and you will need to evaluate the upper snowpack carefully to avoid the wind-stiffened snow that is likely to create your avalanche problem.
The avalanche danger at Hurricane Ridge has rapidly increased sharply since Friday when NPS rangers reported natural and skier triggered loose dry avalanches releasing on steep northerly aspects as the snow piled up on Friday. The storm continued into Saturday with moderate winds developing Friday night and delivering 2-2.5’ of storm total accumulation from the Park entrance up to Hurricane Ridge. Loose Dry avalanches were spitting out of steep gullies around 3000 ft. Less total snow is expected at Hurricane Ridge proper.
Snowpack Discussion
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