Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Olympics.
New snow instabilities will need more time to settle out so make conservative terrain choices by choosing lower angled terrain and avoiding wind loaded slopes near and above treeline. Recent wind slab may be found on a variety of aspects Monday.
Detailed Forecast
Additional light snowfall is expected Sunday night accompanied by a sharp cooling trend and followed by light to moderate showers on Monday.
There is some uncertainty to how much wind transport will occur due to a period of NE winds in the Olympics Sunday night. All aspects will be listed as wind slab may be found on a variety of aspects Monday.Â
Storm slabs may still be sensitive on Monday. While deeper storm slab instabilities should be healing, it is still possible to trigger a large storm slab avalanche in isolated areas.Â
Be aware that small loose dry avalanches triggered on steep slopes can entrain deeper snow layers.  Â
New snow instabilities will need more time to settle out so make conservative terrain choices by choosing lower angled terrain and avoiding wind loaded slopes near and above treeline.Â
Snowpack Discussion
Weather and Snowpack
Strong NE-E winds were seen this past Wednesday and Thursday with very cold temperatures.Â
A storm cycle began Friday with about 2 feet of snow accumulating in the Hurricane Ridge area through Sunday morning. Light snow showers with light winds were seen during the day Sunday.Â
Recent Observations
NWAC pro-observer Matt Schonwald was at Hurricane on Friday (before most of storm snow arrived) and found scoured slopes or shallow new snow on EÂ slopes and shallow building wind slab on SW slopes. He found no significant signs of instability, ski tracks still visible from last week and lots of surface roughness to fill in on lee slopes.
No observations were received Saturday or Sunday.Â
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Wind Slabs form in specific areas, and are confined to lee and cross-loaded terrain features. They can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind-scoured areas..
Wind Slab avalanche. Winds blew from left to right. The area above the ridge has been scoured, and the snow drifted into a wind slab on the slope below.
Wind slabs can take up to a week to stabilize. They are confined to lee and cross-loaded terrain features and can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind scoured areas.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1
Storm Slabs
Release of a soft cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within the storm snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slab problems typically last between a few hours and few days. Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
You can reduce your risk from Storm Slabs by waiting a day or two after a storm before venturing into steep terrain. Storm slabs are most dangerous on slopes with terrain traps, such as timber, gullies, over cliffs, or terrain features that make it difficult for a rider to escape off the side.
Storm slabs usually stabilize within a few days, and release at or below the trigger point. They exist throughout the terrain, and can be avoided by waiting for the storm snow to stabilize.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1