Avalanche forecast

Bridgeport Avalanche Center

Bridgeport Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Swirling winds have created slabs in and above treeline terrain on all aspects.  A small slide could step down into more dangerous snow at the bottom of the pack which has not shown any clues of its presence at the surface. A slide is likely to be bigger or more consequential than expected.  Mitigate this problem by making conservative terrain choices and allowing for a wider than normal margin for error.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2.5

    The poor structure that we have been writing about for weeks remains in the snowpack. Moving through the terrain between Leavitt and Koenig Lake and probing down to the bottom of the pack, the weak sugary snow could easily be felt. With this type of problem, we are not getting any signs of instability from the surface, nor in  the new snow that fell earlier this week. When this happens it can create a false sense of security, especially as the new snow above it was light, unconsolidated, and plentiful in isolated lee areas. When uncertainty ramps up, choose your terrain carefully a break in this snow could bring down the entire snowpack. 

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds from the Northwest yesterday created impressive plumes of blowing snow in the air. The wind speed ranged from moderate to strong, exposed slopes were stripped down while ridges to the east and south loaded up with slab-like snow. The weak solar input from the January sun angle did not microwave the snow on solar aspects and these slabs did not energize with clean breaks where we were testing the snow. Snow was cracking and moving in isolated pockets with progressive compression, and depending on the slope configuration could produce a larger break. Due to the swirling nature of the wind, slabs are forecasted to be on all aspects in and above the treeline today. 

    (1/11/2024) Photo: julian hanna

Avalanche Discussion

On Wednesday night earlier this week (1/10) Leavitt Lake received 1.8" of Snow Water Equivalent (SWE). We traveled up to investigate on Thursday and the snow was much deeper than that in spots, it felt more like 2+ feet of light unconsolidated snow in isolated pockets of low-angle treed terrain. The storm came in cold and blew the lower-density snow all around the terrain. While deep deposits existed in sheltered gullies, it was equally impressive to see how little snow there was right next to it. The variability in snowfall amounts is huge right now. Below 9,000 feet that same storm only dropped a few inches. Since the BWRA is open we traveled up the road to Leavitt Lake and did not veer off much as early-season conditions are present. Outside of the snowpack hazards mentioned above in our problem list,  I want to let the machine users know that it still feels like it is early in the season with rocks, logs, and small tree hazards in effect. The snow was cold and dry and it looks like the incoming storm on Saturday will bring heavy, water-saturated snow, creating hazardous avalanche conditions, 

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