Bulletin d’avalanche

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Thu
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 2 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

The color change is not a sign that entering avalanche terrain is now safe. Large avalanches failing on weak snow 2-4 ft below the surface remains a concerning possibility. Travel cautiously around slopes greater than 30 degrees and avoid features that appear wind-loaded. Time your travel to avoid solar slopes during the heat of the day. 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    2–3

    This persistent slab problem is becoming harder to trigger with time, but the resulting avalanche will certainly be large enough to kill you. The recipe for an avalanche exists on most middle and upper-elevation slopes. The Early February Crust (EFC) harbors weak, faceted snow and is now buried underneath a dense 2-4 foot thick slab. This pairing is capable of producing large, destructive avalanches. 

    This serious weak layer of concern requires patience and strict management. These slabs can trigger in surprising ways. You can trigger them from flat or low-angle terrain long distances away from steep slopes, and they can break far above you. Before triggering an avalanche of this type, you may or may not receive any direct signs of instability. Therefore, your best strategy to avoid triggering a large, unsurvivable avalanche will be to avoid travel on or below slopes greater than 30 degrees. 

    (3/2/2024)

    Don't be fooled by the calm weather, you can still trigger large surprising avalanches. NWAC Forecasters observed this large avalanche at 6600 ft on a NE aspect. 

    Photo: Katie Warren

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–1.5

    The intense March sun will moisten snow surfaces on E-S-W facing slopes as the day heats up. Pay attention to rollerballs, pinwheels, or trees releasing snow as these are common signs that wet loose avalanches could soon follow. Plan your day so you avoid being on direct solar slopes during the heat of the day. 

    (2/23/2024)

    Look for signs like this to help you identify what slopes are heating up. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

We're heading into a period of 'Scary Moderate' in the East-South zone. The danger has dropped today because the likelihood of triggering an avalanche gradually decreases as days pass without loading. However, it's important to note that the potential size has stayed the same. Just because the color changed doesnt mean you can't trigger a large avalanche that could ruin your day and many other people's day. 

Observers across much of the Washington Cascades, particularly the eastern slopes and the west-south, have reported numerous large avalanches failing on old snow 2-4 ft below the surface. In addition to the fatal avalanche accident on Darland Mt on March 1st, another large avalanche on an adjacent slope was remotely triggered by a group of snowmobilers. This widely propagating avalanche occurred on a north aspect at 6300 ft. You can check out the observation here. NWAC forecasters visiting the accident site also reported this separate large avalanche (avalanche observation). These all likely failed on the Early February Crust. 

You're rolling the dice if you decide to ride in steep avalanche terrain. These persistent slab problems require persistent patience. It's not worth jumping into larger terrain features just for the pleasure of riding untracked snow. That action could result in you being pushed at high speeds into rock, trees, or suffocating under several feet of snow. I encourage you to continue to exercise patience.

Régions couvertes