Avalanche forecast

Olympics

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

Strong winds could manage to drift the few inches of new snow into small stiff slabs Friday. Be leery of steep slopes with smooth pillow-like surfaces. With such as shallow snowpack, any avalanche could take you for a nasty ride.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Shallow wind slabs should continue to form and grow throughout the day. They’ll be most prevalent at upper elevations where a more continuous snowpack can provide a reasonable bed surface. 

    Since this isn’t a very big storm, they likely won’t be everywhere. Blowing snow, sharp drifts, and textured surfaces should all help point toward potentially wind-loaded slopes. When in doubt, go around and seek out more sheltered or lower-angled terrain.

    (2/18/2023)

    Example: Simple signs of winds slabs forming in front of you. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

This storm will bring a nice fresh coat of paint to the mountains, but it won’t be the snowpack builder that’s needed. Expect stormy conditions in the morning that could limit visibility and cause snow surface conditions to change rapidly. 

On Thursday, NPS rangers reported a thin, discontinuous snowpack at Hurricane Ridge. A glance at the webcams supports it. There’s almost as much grass as snow in the images. Snow depths of around a foot were common in Middle Elevation terrain. Shaded northerly aspects hold slightly deeper and more connected snow, but it’s still thin. 

With the poor coverage comes a laundry list of travel hazards: flowing creeks, open holes, exposed rocks, downed logs, and shrubs/trees. Simply moving through the mountains could pose the greatest danger of your day.

Regions covered