Avalanche forecast

Newberry

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

Triggering avalanches in recent storm snow and wind drifted snow will be possible on Sunday in the Monument. Most avalanches will be small, but slopes that have accumulated wind drifted snow could be larger. East and Southeast slopes at and above treeline will be the terrain which larger avalanches are more likely. The key will be monitoring the new snow that has fallen on top of Friday's rain crust. In locations where this depth is 10+ inches, an avalanche would be more consequential, especially when terrain traps are present (trees, cliffs, etc).

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    On Saturday, I found wind slabs present in isolated wind loaded terrain, in some places over a foot thick. While I found these wind slabs unreactive to triggering, the additional (and warmer) snow coming down through Saturday night could make these more touchy and possible to trigger. Use small, steep, and convex test slopes on leeward aspects to assess potential for reactivity, and back off terrain where you see that red flags are present. The rain crust underneath recent storm snow/wind loaded snow is a great bench mark to reference how deep wind drifts have become. Monitor these depths with your ski pole, and bear in mind that deeper drifts can result in larger avalanches.

    (12/25/2024)

    Archived photo showing shooting cracks in a wind slab

    Photo: Aaron Hartz

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    The Newberry zone, as is typical, has received less snow since Friday's rain than the Central Cascades. While the lowest of below treeline elevations will likely not have enough snow for a storm slab problem, the warming trend of Saturday into Sunday morning's storm is a prime recipe for an upside down snowpack. This means we will have warm, denser snow falling on top of cold and drier (ie weaker) snow. These storm slab avalanches would likely be small and specific to elevations where enough snow has fallen on the rain crust. Look out for shooting cracks and be careful for steep/extreme slopes where small slides could be higher consequence.

    (12/29/2024)

    Archived photo showing a shallow storm slab avalanche

    Photo: Gabriel Coler

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