Avalanche forecast

Southern Wallowas

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Generally safe avalanche conditions exist across the southern zone today. However, small wet loose avalanches are possible on steep > 35 degree slopes on mostly south-facing terrain at low to mid elevations. Avoid steep gullies and sunny slopes in the PM. If you head to the top of the peaks, or into more complex terrain in the alpine, you may be able to find an unstable wind-loaded pocket. 

This forecast is sponsored by the Wallowa County Gamblers Snowmobile Club. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Wet loose avalanches may be human-triggered on steep >35 degree south-facing terrain in the PM with daytime warming. This problem type will be most active at mid to lower elevations, especially below 6000'. Potential warning signs of wet loose activity include rollerballs and pinwheels cartwheeling down the slope, sinking up to your boot tops in wet snow, or getting your sled bogged down in a soupy moist mess. Recreationists in the Southern Wallowas should be especially careful traveling up steep canyon gullies and drainages in the afternoon as sunny slopes take heat, become unstable, and potentially unleash a torrent of wet avalanche debris down upon you. The tricky thing about moving up steep drainages, say like above Cornucopia, is that you are consistently in the line of fire as many of these slopes are facing the sun. Avoid this problem by staying off and out from underneath steep > 35 degree slopes in the PM. If you must travel under suspect slopes, please spread out and go one-at-a-time. 

    (2/21/2024)

    West Aspect at 7200' on 2/21

    Photo: Wallowa Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Warm temperatures and sunshine will quickly heat the snow surface today.  When this snow warms up or the thin melt-freeze crust that has formed on some south-facing slopes breaks down, wet loose avalanche activity will become a real possibility especially at lower elevations. These small pushy slides can carry you to places you don't want to be. Look for rollerballs and pinwheels as visual clues of wet loose avalanches. If you see these signs or start sinking into the wet snow seek lower-angle slopes or slopes without terrain traps in case you take a ride. FYI - there is still cold fluffy snow on northerly slopes at mid to upper elevations.

Pockets of unstable wind slab may still exist in the alpine. They are most likely on slopes facing NW-N-NE.  The effects of recent wind-loading may present as smooth hard pillows lurking below ridgelines or sub-ridges mid-slope, as cornices hanging imposingly over steep slopes, or if settled powder snow gives way to stiff punchy windboard. These are all the signs of potential wind slab. The warm temperatures compounded by the lack of significant new snow or wind are helping the wind slabs stabilize. However, danger may lurk in isolated pockets. Look for and avoid steep slopes (>35 degrees) with large overhanging cornices, smooth textured wind pillows, and/or deposition zones with convex rollovers. 

This is the time of year when extra caution should be given to overhanging cornices. As temperatures rise and the sun's power grows more intense cornice fall becomes an elevated hazard. Give cornice edges wide berth, and when traveling on ridges, always stay on the windward side where signs of terra firma exist - a tree, a rock, - something to let you know your not dangling in space and tempting fate. 

For future reference: We've had over 72 hours of very little wind in the alpine. Calm conditions combined with clear cold nights have produced some amazingly large surface hoar crystals on W-N-E aspects well up into the alpine. As we start to get snow on Sunday through the start of next week, this buried layer of surface hoar could become an avalanche problem. When out touring this weekend, pay attention to where you are seeing significant surface hoar formation and tuck that little tidbit in your memory bank for future retrieval. 

 

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