Olympics

Wind loaded slopes near and below ridgelines will likely be primed for avalanches within the new snow on Tuesday.  In wind affected terrain at higher elevations, it will be a good day to stick to simple terrain.  A cooling trend will help lower the potential for loose wet avalanches on very steep slopes, but continue to monitor for areas where wet snow conditions persist.  

Hurricane Ridge was shadowed or on the lee side of the storm impacting the Olympic range on Monday, with light rain/snow and stiff SW winds.  That will change Monday night and Tuesday with new snow accumulating above 4000' and increasing avalanche danger. 

The most dangerous areas will be found on steep open lee slopes,  likely NW-SE aspects,  at higher elevations where deeper slabs have developed.   Slab avalanches may fail within the new snow, or at the new/old snow interface.  Stay off of steep wind-loaded slopes and storm instabilities settle over time.  You can look for cracking in the new snow and other red flags to help identity which slopes to avoid.  Give freshly formed cornices a wide berth while traveling along ridgelines, they may break back further than you expect. 

You can find the stout early March crust easily in the upper snowpack. This crust may be exposed on windswept ridgelines.  Moving forward, we are not concerned about deeper layers in the snowpack below the early March crust.   

2021-22 Forecast Schedule: Avalanchedanger ratings will be issued for the Olympics every Friday through Sunday and during mid-week holidays. During the week when the Hurricane Ridge road is closed, forecast information will be updated daily to include expected conditions and relevant travel advice under the No Rating label.