Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Avalanche danger will increase as snowfall builds up and the wind howls into the evening. Your largest avalanche concern is wind drifted snow deposits, which you might find in unusual areas due to the intensity of the wind. Search for signs of wind-loaded slopes, and avoid them in steep areas.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Reactive wind slabs will develop and grow larger and become more dangerous as snow accumulates, especially in the afternoon. Due to the strong winds, they may act differently from your usual deposits- you could find them in unusual areas, and at lower elevations than you might expect. 

    You can identify these slabs by feeling for firmer or hollow snow beneath you. Search for visual clues such as pillowy drifts, cornices, or textured surfaces. Shooting cracks is also a good indicator that the snow is unstable. They are most likely to form around rocky features, on the sides of gullies, or on leeward slopes. If you find any of these identifying characteristics, steer clear of wind-loaded slopes greater than 35 degrees.

    (1/1/2022)

    Cracking is a strong indicator of instability in the snow. This cracking was caused by walking past a stiff wind feature.  

    Photo: Irene Henninger

Avalanche Discussion

A very large natural avalanche occurred in the Baker backcountry on Friday 12/31. I investigated it on Saturday and found a weak, sugary layer of surface hoar as what the avalanche failed on. This layer is at the location of the Solstice Crust, but at upper elevations where a crust didn’t form, in areas of the West North Zone. It is now buried several feet deep. The very large avalanche was a surprise, and it is unknown how widespread this surface hoar layer is. There may be areas in the West Central zone where you could find this layer as well, and with new snow deposited on upper elevation slopes from wind or precipitation, we may encounter avalanches failing on that layer. Keep this in mind, especially if you’re thinking of traveling to large upper elevation slopes. 

There are several uncertainties as to how this storm will play out, in addition to some potential weak layers deeper in the snowpack which may react as more weight (snow) is added to slopes. For this reason, travel carefully in the backcountry, and stick to smaller lower elevation slopes and non wind-loaded areas to maximize your fun.

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