Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 18th, 2019–Mar 19th, 2019

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Mt Hood.

The Mt. Hood area is undergoing a rapid spring transition, creating the potential for powerful wet snow avalanches as the warm and sunny stretch continues. East winds will locally cool snow surfaces, focusing the wet snow concerns on sunny, wind-sheltered slopes. As the day progresses, avoid steep sunny slopes with wet surface snow while thinking about your overhead exposure.

Discussion

Snow and Avalanche Discussion

Another day of high freezing levels with sunny skies is forecast for Tuesday. However, east winds will maintain in the moderate to strong range, locally dampening the loose wet avalanche potential on wind-affected slopes. Above treeline areas are expected to have experienced a moderate refreeze on Sunday night and they are expected to receive at least a shallow refreeze Monday night.

Small loose wet avalanche activity was observed below treeline on Mt. Hood on Monday, with winds cooling the snow near and above treeline. Don't let the minimal recent avalanche activity lull you into a false sense of security. The snowpack is undergoing a spring transition this week. Keep typical spring concerns on your mind. Important considerations include wet snow, cornice falls, and timing your travel with progressively warming snow surfaces.

Snowpack Discussion

New Regional Synopsis Coming Soon

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.