Avalanche forecast

Northern Wallowas

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A complex snowpack should lead you to choose simple terrain. A recent additional load of snow, plus your weight, could be enough to trigger a dangerous slab avalanche breaking 2-3' down in old snow. Watch for shooting cracks or stiffer snow on mid and upper elevations to alert you of wind-drifted snow that could slide. Choose low-consequence or low-angle terrain for a sustainable way to enjoy the snow.  

Today's forecast is sponsored by: Baum Smith | Attorneys At Law of La Grande.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    The Valentine's Buried Surface Hoar layer, along with weak faceted snow from the January Drought (buried on Feb 8), has been found in the upper 3 feet of the snowpack. If you trigger a slab avalanche on either or both of these fragile weak layers, you will likely produce a large to very large avalanche. 

    Persistent Slab avalanches can release in surprising ways:

    •  They can be much wider than expected 
    • They can break above you and pull into relatively gentle terrain.
    • Although unlikely right now, you can trigger them remotely—from flat terrain below, above, and to the sides of steep slopes.  

    Yes, keep your ears peeled for collapses or whumphs, but don't let their absence allow you into consequential slopes over 30 degrees.  Avoidance is our top (and our only) tool when it comes to dealing with a persistent slab.  

    (2/25/2026) Southeast 8900' Photo: Willie Sloop

  • Wind Slabs

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

    New snow from Weds and today will blow into wind drifts, especially near ridgelines.  Wind blowing snow was reported in the N Wallowas on Tuesday also. Watch for cracks or rippled texture, listen for styrofoam-y snow, and feel for suddenly stiffer snow that supports your machine or boards.  If you note any of these, seek low angle terrain.  

    (3/4/2026)

    3/4/26, 7850' NE, Elkhorns- 6' intentionally triggered shooting crack and a tiny slab that broke off on a wind roll.  On a low consequence spot with a 25 degree pitch below me, this was a great spot to test the new wind-drifted snow's sensitivity.  

    Photo: Wallowa Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Use the forecast as a starting point, but continue assessing conditions as you travel. Especially in Northeastern Oregon, we don't have the high recreational user numbers that other zones do, such as touring meccas like the Wasatch or motorized playgrounds like Togwotee Pass. These have their own avalanche hazards from crowding, but they get more observations in smaller areas and so users have higher confidence in understanding the snowpack structure.  Rescue resources, such as helicopters and people, are also available.  

Here, you might go into a drainage that few or no people have been all season.  If you want to learn more, by all means, dig in to check for our persistent slab problem.  If the WAC doesn't have it listed somewhere, try to prove us wrong (and tell us later). Or, you can also keep your shovel in your pack and avoid avalanche terrain or slopes over 30 degrees.  

Observations: If you are out in the mountains, please send us an observation of what you saw. All observations are noteworthy and greatly help the forecasters. If you don't want everyone to see where you went, you can set it to private so only the forecasters will see it. 

Beacon Parks: Thank you to everyone who helped establish the beacon training park at Anthony Lakes (across from the ski lift on Mud Lake) and near the warming shelter at Salt Creek Summit snopark outside of Joseph, OR. These are free tools that we should all take advantage of.  

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