East Slopes North

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Storm Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Likely

  Taille

  1–2

  You can expect avalanches where you find 6" or more of new snow. The terrain above 5,5000ft should receive mostly snow, but even there, it will come in warm and heavy. Moderate to strong southwest winds will make avalanches even more likely on leeward sides of ridges.

  Watch for avalanches and cracking in the new snow. Use small test slopes and frequent informal tests to see how easily the snow slides. Stick to smaller slopes and confined terrain. If you experience whumpfing collapses or see avalanches break into deeper layers, you should avoid all avalanche terrain. At that point, you will be dealing with unmanageable persistent slab conditions. See more below.

  

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  2–3

  As the snow starts to accumulate, choose more conservative terrain. Limit your exposure to large avalanche paths and runouts. Don't linger where avalanches or cornices could fall from above. Heed the warning of any whumpfs or cracks that break into deeper weak layers

  It won't take much to awaken the avalanche dragons in our widespread weak snowpack. The new snow will stress older weak layers throughout the zone. The first areas where this will occur will be upper elevation leeward slopes and terrain east of the Cascade crest where you find less than 5 feet of snow on the ground. Avalanches could run naturally on older January weak layers.

  

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Likely

  Taille

  1–1.5

  Wet avalanches will be the most common type to encounter at low elevations. They are predictable and typically smaller. Use extra caution if you see avalanches gouging deep into the snowpack or wet slabs breaking on deeper weak layers. If you see weak, moist snow that slides easily or natural avalanches, stick to lower-angle terrain.