Avalanche Forecast

Above 7000 ft, wind slabs will be growing and rapidly becoming very large on Tuesday and may release naturally or with a human trigger. This creates very dangerous avalanche conditions and wind slabs that release at higher elevation will be deadly, so avoid all large avalanche paths on Tuesday.

Loose wet avalanche conditions will develop near treeline and below. 

Weak snow formed and buried earlier in the month can still be found in the upper snowpack. On Monday, Mt. Hood Meadows pro-patrol found buried surface hoar most intact in sheltered locations from 5500 to 6500 ft with the surface hoar layer below 5500 ft. While this layer was preserved intact 16-20" below the snow surface, it was neither reactive in snowpact tests nor involved in any recent avalanche activity. Several rain crusts were found above this layer. We will continue to track this layer and there is a small chance that with loading or rain it could produce a wet slab.

Updated Regional Synopsis 20181216

Dangerous and fickle avalanche conditions remain as active weather continues into the week. Thick slabs of new snow (2-5 feet) are perched above a weak layer of faceted crystals. Avalanches triggered on this layer could be very large and life threatening.

Reports continue to come in of very large natural and triggered avalanches in the northern and eastern zones. For perspective, several of these slides have been classified as D3, or large enough to destroy a house. You can find similar snowpack structure responsible for these avalanches in many other locations throughout the Cascades, including Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes.

Anyone accessing alpine areas should limit their exposure to areas where avalanches start, run and stop. In some places the weak snow will talk to you by whumpfing and cracking. In other places, the heavy blanket of new snow is thick enough that it can give a false sense of stability while it masks the dangerous layering below.

Approximate snow totals from 12/10 - 12/16:  

• Mt. Baker: 75”

• Washington Pass: 35”

• Stevens Pass: 42”

• Snoqualmie Pass: 36”

• Paradise: 51”

• Crystal Mt Base: 29”

• Mt. Hood Meadows: 21”

• Olympics: mix of rain and snow, no net gain

The change in the snowpack is pretty dramatic with elevation. Height of snow decreases rapidly below 4500’ at Baker and Washington Pass, 5500’ at Crystal/Rainier. The Passes have better low elevation coverage, but it's still pretty thin below 4000’. With additional warm storms in the forecast, this pattern is expected to continue for awhile. Mt. Hood and Hurricane Ridge have low snow coverage below 5000’.

If you're out in the mountains, please let us know what you see.

Be cautious and get home safe.