Central Cascades

On Friday, it will continue to be difficult to trigger an avalanche due to the low snow depth that currently exists in our zone. Above treeline is where motivated individuals will find enough snow to ski and ride. If you pursue these upper elevations, follow safe travel practices and stay vigilant for changing conditions that could result in pockets of unstable snow.

The recent heavy rain followed by warm temps have stripped most of the minimal snow we were holding on to at below and near treeline elevations. I walked on dirt pretty much all the way to the Tumalo summit, and only the upper few hundred feet of elevation (above 7200 ft) on these south and west aspects had thin, small patches of snow. On East to North aspects in the bowl, there was more continuous snow coverage, however probing around below the ridge (where most wind loading occurs) only showed upwards of 1.5' snow depth. Patience may behoove the snow seeker, as colder systems appear to be lining up to start hitting our region early next week.