Olympics

Spring-like avalanche concerns remain isolated. Softening cornices risk failure during the mid-day hours and combine with open glide cracks to add some risk on the slopes below. Firm surfaces should keep the prospects of a sliding fall on your mind .

We're in the midst of a long and anomalously warm, sunny, and dry stretch.  Hurricane Ridge felt warm on Saturday, with a high temperature around 57F and light winds. The combination of an atmospheric river that brought rain to the highest peaks last weekend, followed by an extended period of sunshine and mountain temperatures in the 40s and 50s has drastically reduced the now very consolidated 26" snowpack at the NWAC weather station. Snow surfaces were mostly firm, but softened slightly on aspects directly facing the sun. Such conditions are expected again on Sunday.

Recent glide and glide avalanche activity:

• A large glide avalanche was reported on 01/15 on a steep N-NW aspect on the trail to Hurricane Hill (Steep and Icy Path). The exact timing of the avalanche is unknown.
• A glide crack was observed, in North Bowl just below Sunrise Point on 01/17. The timing of the crack opening remains uncertain.

These avalanches imply that in some areas water may still be draining the snowpack. If you were in the exact wrong spot at the wrong time, a glide failure would ruin your day. Simply avoid the steep slopes under these brown frowns. Glide avalanches can occur where smooth where smooth or slick bedrock exists on a steep slope.

A few other concerns despite the Low Danger: 

• Cornices have largely shed, but there may be some hangfire remaining. You might see chunks of snow where cornices have previously released. If a cornice might still be cantelevered, it will soften and break back farther than you expect along a ridgeline, while also adding risk on the slope below.
• Crusts are thickening, but wet loose avalanches could still occur in isolated areas.  Despite continued mild overnight temperatures, generally clear skies should support a nightly refreeze of snow surfaces that soften during the day. You could still trigger a wet loose avalanche if warming breaks down the surface crusts. Use caution around extreme features, like very steep slopes below sun-soaked cliffs, chutes and rock bands, where the snow is receiving additional heating and there's a higher likelihood of triggering a wet loose avalanche. 
• The snowpack should contain multiple crusts and is unlikely to harbor any weak snow layers of concern. 
• With refreezing surfaces producing a variety of snow conditions, including firm, icy surfaces, consequences of a slide or fall on a steep icy slope.  Before you move across icy steep slopes, make sure to have the proper traction and be ready to arrest a fall.  
• Shallow snow hazards are very much back in play; ridgelines are frequently down to dirt excepted in corniced areas; snow has become discontinuous on sun-exposed aspects.

Enjoy the sunshine! 

Weather station note: We are working with the NPS to restore communications to the Hurricane Ridge weather station.  Right now, we don't have an estimated return time.