Avalanche forecast

Elkhorns

Wallowa Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Expect to find windslabs above treeline and at ridgelines today and tomorrow on north, northeast, and east facing terrain. Dangerous conditions will exist on this steep, leeward facing terrain. Careful snowpack evaluation and cautious route finding will be required while traveling on or under the aforementioned terrain. For today and tomorrow, it is recommended that you travel on slopes < 35 degrees when recreating in the alpine and at ridge tops.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    It was windy in the Western Wallowas above 7000' yesterday and the weather station on Mt. Howard was showing moderate  overnight winds from the southwest. Also, moderate to strong south, southwest, and west winds are forecasted throughout the day today and into tonight. Add to that the 3" - 6" of new snow that fell last night in the mountains and  the 3" - 6" plus of new snow forecasted for today and you have the necessary ingredients for parcels of wind drifted snow known as wind slabs. Expect to find these windslabs at and above treeline, and especially at ridgelines on leeward north, northeast, and east facing terrain. Recreating on slopes 35 degrees or steeper at and above treeline, in the alpine, and at ridgelines will require careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route finding, and conservative decision making. 

Avalanche Discussion

Snowpit data throughout our forecast region continues to show a generally "right side up snowpack" . Crust layers are present at the bottom of the snowpack but prove to be unreactive in stability tests. Moderate instability was discovered in the upper quarter of the snowpack on two snow pits I dug in the Western Wallowas involving new snow that fell in the last week. None of my columns showed  any signs of propagation. I also looked at snowpit data taken yesterday from the Northern Elkhorns. Similar results were found in that snowpack as well. Our slowly building snowpack continues to be thin, especially at and below treeline. The danger of hitting logs and rocks is the reality so continue to be cautious when recreating in the thin snowpack environment we are presently dealing with.

Regions covered