Avalanche forecast

Southern Wallowas

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A weak and shallow snowpack structure exists in most areas of the Northern Wallowas.  Lingering windslabs along ridgeline will be more stubborn to trigger today, but if released could create enough of a load on the weak snowpack that a larger slab could release into deeper persistent weak layers.  If experiencing red flags such as recent wind loading, recent avalanches, shooting cracks, or collapsing of the snowpack, choose more simple terrain with slope angles less than 30 degrees and stay out of the runout of any avalanche path.  This is a tricky snowpack to deal with- it continues to take patience while utilizing healthy margins in your terrain selection.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Lingering wind slabs will be harder to trigger today, but not impossible.  Utilize small, safe, representative test slopes to check the reactiveness of any recent wind loading.  Avoid terrain that sits above terrain traps, where even a small avalanche could have a poor outome.  Recent wind loaded pockets along ridgelines have produced natural avalanches in the last several days.  Excellent riding conditions will likely be found on lower angle slopes that are protected from the wind.  

    (1/6/2021) Natural avalanche in McCully Basin (A.Brooking).

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    Observers in the Northern Wallowas yesterday found obvious signs of instability.  Check out the great observation here.  Keep em coming.  They experienced shooting cracks, "whumphing" or collapses within the snowpack, and snowpack test results indicating instability.  We've got almost all the right ingredients here to create a large destructive avalanche, perhaps all we need is a trigger.  Don't let it be you.  As indicated in recent observations, there is a high degree of spatial variability in the wind blown regions of the Northern Wallowas.  Careful snowpack assessment and terrain management will be the keys to finding where the slab sitting atop the SRC is thin enough to impact weaker layers below.  

Regions covered