Avalanche forecast

Blues

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

A rain on snow event yesterday has destabilized the upper snowpack layers.  Wet loose avalanches in terrain steeper than 35 degrees are possible today, especially where provoked by a rider.   Look for signs of wet loose avalanches such as pin wheels, roller balls, and fan shaped small point releases.  Avoid terrain where even a small wet loose avalanche could knock you off of your feet and carry you over consequential terrain such as a cliff, or into a gully or groupings of trees.  

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Over an inch of rain fell onto the snow in the Northern Blues yesterday.  This has likely caused the upper snowpack to lose strength.  Temperatures have dipped below freezing overnight, but are expected to hover right around freezing for most of today.  This will prolong the possibility for wet loose avalanches to occur at all elevations and all aspects in the Blue Mountains.  If you step off of your machine or out of your boards and sink up to your ankles in wet cohesionless snow, wet loose avalanches are likely in that area and you should avoid terrain steeper than 35 degrees.  Temperatures are forecasted to remain warm through the weekend- so this problem is likely to persist until freezing temperatures solidify the upper snowpack.  

Avalanche Discussion

Prior to the rain on snow event from yesterday, warm temperatures have created a strong snowpack in the Blues with dense layers of snow and a variety of crusts throughout the upper snowpack.  Check out Hatch's observation from Spout Spring on Wednesday here.  

When we recieve rain on snow with crusts in the snowpack, we want to keep an eye on whether the water percolating throught the upper snowpack pools on these crust layers.  Curious observers wil dig down to see how deep the rain has saturated the snowpack.  If there is any water that is moving through denser layers of snow and then pooling along crusts, there is a chance of triggering a more destructive wet slab avalanche.  If noticing these conditions, retreat to non-avalanche terrain (slopes less than 30 degrees).  

Please submit any observations or pictures you have from your mountain travels here.  

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