Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Triggering a large avalanche in wind drifted snow will be possible on Sunday. Be cautious under ridgelines and features that collect snow near and above treeline. If you see signs of instability, move to slopes under 30 degrees.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    For Sunday wind slabs will continue to develop as new snow arrives. We are forecasted to get 4-8” of new snow which could lead to human triggered avalanches. Strong winds from the southwest will build slabs on lee slopes near and above treeline.

    Look for wind slab formation below ridgelines, under cornices, areas that catch snow, and anywhere the wind can blow and accumulate snow (i.e. lower elevation burn zones). With strong winds you may find wind slabs lower down on slopes than usual. Remember that wind can transport and accumulate snow many times deeper.

    Be on the lookout for blowing snow, textured snow surface, and smooth/rounded features. Other observations to look for are cracking and recent avalanches.

    Your best bet is to ease into terrain and find safe indicator slopes to check for instabilities. Carefully evaluate avalanche slopes, and be cautious of terrain traps (cliffs, gully, trees). Seek slopes under 30 degrees if you see signs of instability and/or have uncertainty in the snowpack.

Avalanche Discussion

On Saturday I toured up Tumalo. I found strong winds with the occasional extreme gust from the southwest. I found small reactive wind slabs in the bowl that were 6-10” deep and did not propagate very wide. Active wind loading was observed as well. While traveling I was not able to find the surface hoar that has been observed the past few days. It is possible there are small patches of surface hoar out there in wind protected north facing areas.

For Sunday use caution around cornices. With low visibility and large cornices in the mountains it can be easy to wander too close. Give cornices a wide distance as they tend to break back farther than expected.

If we end up receiving 8" or more of new snow, small storm slabs could be an issue near and below treeline on wind protected slopes. Continue to assess the snow depth as the snow falls.

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