Avalanche forecast

Central Cascades

Central Oregon Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago.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

On Saturday, avalanches large enough to bury or injure a rider will be unlikely. The past week has seen a wide variety of weather impacting our mountains. Be aware of changing conditions as you move through different slope aspects and elevation bands. If the clouds break enough to let some sun through, you could see small wet loose slides on the sunniest, steepest slopes

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Saturday's mostly overcast skies may prohibit this problem from truly developing, but with calm to light winds and warm air temps, it is possible for steep slopes at lower elevations to receive enough solar influence to turn the upper snow surface to slush. Although any slide would be small, it is worth monitoring, as even small wet loose slides can knock you off your feet. If you notice active roller balling or snow penetration above your boots, consider shadier sloeps.

Avalanche Discussion

I utilized Friday's sunny, warm weather to venture into the upper alpine and take observations. As you will see from the photos below, there was ample evidence of recent avalanche activity, mostly on steep east facing slopes. It is hard to tell when these avalanches occured, but they looked to be a few days old, and likely during the peak of our storm this past Tuesday. On Middle Sister, I observed a widespread rain crust up to ~8200 ft, with pleasantly chalky, wind affected surface snow above this elevation. By early afternoon Friday, the rain crust on solar slopes had received enough warmth to soften the snow surfaces.

Without a whole lot else to write for current avalanche conditions, I would like to utilize this platform to recognize a friend. On Tuesday, 2/24, the Central Oregon backcountry community lost one of it's most remarkable members, Stratton Matteson. I feel confident saying that over the last several winters, nobody has spent more time in our local zones than Stratton. He was a beacon of light in the truest sense, providing endless inspiration to all that crossed his path. His unfathomable fitness was only outweighted by his modest demeanor, genuine kindness, and enthusiasm in the purest form. Stratton was the epitome of leading by example, and someone I admired immensely. I am so grateful for the time we shared, and I encourage anyone that didn't know him to look him up and read about the incredible human he was. All we can do is carry forward his legacy. Gonna miss you, Stratto. 

   -  Ryan

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