Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Tue
Alta quota
1 · Debole
Limite del bosco
1 · Debole
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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In sintesi

Sunny skies and a warming trend could increase the chances of snow shedding off cliffs and rocks down onto travelers below. Don’t linger below steep rocky features in the sun. Plan for variable surface conditions ranging from challenging slick and firm crusts, breakable crusts, ice, wind board, soft recycled snow, and even corn on steeper south-facing slopes in the afternoon.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Unlikely
    Dimensione
    1–1.5

    A poor overnight refreeze followed by sunny skies, light winds, and increasing temperatures could increase the potential for wet loose avalanches above the temperature inversion. We are most concerned about a lingering pocket of snow shedding off a rock or a cliff onto a traveler lower down on the slope. These locations may warm faster and with greater intensity than the snow you are standing on below. Be alert to what is above you, don't linger below rocks in the sun, glide cracks, or cornices, and travel one at a time if you need to cross under these features.

    You could also initiate a small wet loose avalanche while traveling on a steep sunlit slope. Keep an eye out for warning signs like rollerballs, pinwheels, or sinking into wet snow past your boot tops, and shift to a lower angle slope or a shaded aspect if you observe these signs. We don't anticipate large avalanches tomorrow, but even small avalanches can prove consequential in big terrain. 

    (1/26/2025)

    A natural wet loose avalanche near Sluiskin Falls, Mt Rainier. With a warming trend, wet avalanches should be on your mind. Minimize your overhead exposure to steep sunlit slopes, cliffs, glide cracks, and cornices. 

    S, 6200ft, N-WL-R1/D1.5-U

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

The warming trend continues on Sunday. How this will impact the avalanche conditions is a bit unclear. NWAC forecasters traveled on steep southerly slopes between 5000 and 8200 feet on Mount Rainier on Saturday and were unable to generate any wet loose activity beneath their skis. This positive sign was a bit tempered by the natural size 1.5 wet loose avalanche they observed in nearby terrain, which appeared recent. The takeaway: wet avalanche forecasting is inherently uncertain.

It has been more than two weeks without appreciable snowfall. Since then, we have already gone through a warming trend and a small uptick in wet avalanche activity. That warmup was cut off at the knees back around the 15th as colder temperatures moved into the region. Now we are warming up again to similar temperatures to those seen during the last go round. On the one hand, the snowpack has already been through it, which should keep much of the wet avalanche activity at bay. On the other, we don’t know if that warmup ran its full course, and this isn’t exactly the same snowpack anymore after weeks of high pressure. While we think avalanches are still unlikely on Sunday, they are more likely than they were on Saturday. Overhead exposure is the key thing to limit as you move through the mountains.  

The good news about some more warming is the mid-winter corn harvest may have officially begun! NWAC forecasters at Rainier reported good corn skiing on steep south-facing slopes, as have other observers and recreationists throughout the zone. As has been the case of late, prepare yourself for challenging travel conditions. Soft recycled snow on sheltered north-facing slopes and corn on steep southerlies in the afternoon could make for pleasant descents, but variable surfaces depending on time of day, tree cover, aspect, and elevation may impact your movements. Not every slope facing the sun will soften, and traction aids like boot/ski crampons are an advisable part of your kit, even if you don’t wind up using them. If you plan on traveling above our forecasted elevations on the volcanoes, be prepared to encounter different and potentially more dangerous avalanche conditions.

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