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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 8th, 2019–Feb 9th, 2019

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

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A cold, potent storm will continue to bring new snow, increasing winds, and poor visibility over the next 24 hours. Dangerous avalanche conditions will develop at upper elevations. Avoid freshly wind loaded slopes and terrain features 35 degrees and steeper.

Discussion

Snow and Avalanche Discussion

On Friday, 4in of cold, dry snow accumulated in the adjacent Mt. Baker area. Light snowfall should continue overnight and into Saturday. The West Central Zone looks to receive less snow than many other areas throughout the region. Strong winds, however, will primarily drive the avalanche hazard. 

Expect blustery conditions and fresh wind slab formation Saturday. New and wind-blown snow will be deposited on a variety of old, weak snow surfaces. It will be crucial to monitor changing conditions throughout the day, and carefully assess the new/old snow interface. In wind-sheltered areas, loose dry avalanche concerns may develop as more snow accumulates.

On Thursday, a skier triggered a small slab avalanche in steep terrain on a north aspect at 5500ft in the Mt. Baker area. (observation) The avalanche failed within recent snow from Monday. This lingering storm instability buried less than 1ft deep appears stubborn to trigger and isolated, but it has been found in the Hwy 20 area as well. (observation) Evaluate the upper snowpack carefully as winds and new snow form stiffer, thicker slabs above this interface.

Snowpack Discussion

Regional Synopsis Coming Soon

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.