Bulletin d’avalanche

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Sat
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
1 · Faible
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 3 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

At upper elevations, steer around steep slopes near ridgelines where you find evidence of recently drifted snow.  With high freezing levels and warm temperatures forecast, you will likely see rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches shed from cliffy areas at mid and upper elevations.  Avoid spending time on or below these features. 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

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

    On Thursday, blowing and drifting snow was more relevant at upper elevations where colder temperatures and drier snow crossed paths.  At lower and middle elevations, the new snow improved surfaces and travel conditions but was heavier.

    If you are traveling near ridgelines look for pillowlike drifts and wind-textured snow to identify which slopes to steer around.  If you observe shooting cracks, you're likely to trigger a shallow wind slab in nearby steep terrain. 

    The recent snow fell on a mix of surfaces like older and firmer wind-affected snow and surface crusts of various thicknesses/roughness. Prior to this storm, surface hoar had been widely observed in other zones following cold clear nights mid-week.  Mild temperatures and strong winds may have limited surface hoar growth in the West North but it's worth keeping in the back of your head as we have few observations outside of the Heather Meadows area.  

    Look for wind-textured surfaces and deeper looking drifts along the ridges. These are the most likely places to find recently formed wind slabs.  

    NNW, 6000ft in the Canyon Creek area last April. 

    Photo: Hans Brubaker

Avalanche Discussion

Observers in the Bagley Lakes area reported improved travel conditions following a few inches of heavy snow.  Small wet loose avalanches were skier-triggered on slopes steeper than 35 degrees and a few natural wet loose avalanches shed from steep rocky terrain.  Expect to see more of this on Friday with mild temperatures and some degree of sunshine likely.  While this is the most likely avalanche problem you'll see, as long as you avoid time on or below extreme terrain features like steep rock faces, these avalanches should be predictable and easy to avoid. 

It's true - surface conditions have improved but there are still plenty of open creeks, exposed or partially buried rocks, stumps, etc and frozen chunks of older avalanche debris to inform how and where you travel.  There are no layers of concern in the early season's snowpack at this time. 

If you're traveling in the backcountry in the West North zone, especially to upper elevations, help us learn more about conditions by submitting an observation. 

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