Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche activity in wind blown snow is becoming less likely, but will remain possible on Monday.  The instabilities that resulted in avalanches on Saturday likely need a bit more time to go away.  Be cautious on slopes that look soft and pillowy and lie directly below ridgelines or adjacent to mid-slope features that could catch wind blown snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    There are a couple of different flavors of Wind Slab that folks might encounter on Monday.  Very cold overnight temperatures have ensured that Saturday's wind slabs have not quite "adhered" to the underlying snow.  They are likely more stubborn, but I don't want to take them off the problem list.  These wind slabs were built during and just after our last round of precipitation.  They exist primarily on east and north slopes (some might say the usual spots).

    On Sunday, the wind was mostly Calm and I didn't see any blowing snow.  Some weather stations in particularly windy spots like passes, or at higher elevations, were reporting Moderate wind from the East.  In isolated geographic areas, it is possible that west facing slopes could be recently wind loaded.  I would expect these wind slabs to be isolated and relatively small.

Avalanche Discussion

While we may not have a lot of snow in the mountains, the snow that we've been riding has been really nice.  As we look ahead to three days of high pressure and warmer temperatures, we will likely see some aspects and elevations experience some melting.  I take solace in the fact that the sun is weak during this time of year.  Savvy riders should be able to find soft snow until our next round of precipitation at the end of the week.

Regions covered