Bollettino valanghe

Banner Summit

Sawtooth Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Tue
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
1 · Debole
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 7 years ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Wind slabs that formed during and after last week’s storms remain a problem. You’re most likely to encounter a sensitive slab in upper elevation terrain, particularly where they are resting on hard, icy surfaces. Triggering an avalanche on deeply buried weak layers is unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility. Keep this problem in mind, particularly when traveling in steep, rocky, wind affected terrain.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–2

    Around a foot of snow fell in the Banner Summit area during the trickle of storms last week. Throughout these storms, moderate to strong winds blew from a variety of directions, creating a patchwork of wind slabs in upper elevation terrain. During the final day of snowfall (Saturday, 2/8), wind speeds dropped dramatically, leaving a nice blanket of low density snow on top of these slabs. Yesterday, as I traveled through upper elevation south of this zone, I found that this blanket made it challenging to predict the distribution of older slabs. 

    Overnight, wind speeds picked up a bit, transporting some of the snow that fell at the end of the storm. These slabs are likely to be a bit touchier than the older generations of slabs, but they will likely be relatively small. Older, stiffer slabs underneath will be less sensitive to your weight, but the resulting slides will be larger. Expect to find these slabs in upper elevation terrain, near features that slow the wind down and force it to drop the load that it is carrying.

    ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONTriggering a 4-6 foot thick persistent slab avalanche has become very unlikely. The weak layers we've struggled with all winter have not gone away, but they're buried at a depth where they are very difficult to impact with the weight of a skier or rider. Hard to trigger is not the same as impossible—you'll do well to keep them in mind and continue to factor them into your decision-making.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday, Chris did a good job highlighting the variability in snowpack character that exist throughout our advisory zones. I’d recommend clicking this link and scrolling down to read his Forecast Discussion to see what he had to say. 

The weather may change quickly, but the types of problems that we are dealing with in our snowpack don’t. Today will be another beautiful day in the mountains; sunshine and soft snow most everywhere you look. But don’t let the picture perfect weather lull you into thinking that the snowpack is perfect too. Hidden under the new snow that fell last week and into the weekend (sorry good people of the WRV), are weak layers of snow that should be keeping you on your toes. 

Yesterday, an experienced backcountry traveler relayed his experience in an observation that is worth reading. Although his group had hoped to enter more consequential avalanche terrain, they didn’t let their desire distract them from the hazards posed by the snowpack. After some snowpack research (hand pits and snowpack tests) and thoughtful consideration of the season’s snowpack history, they decided to reset their objective to something a bit less ambitious and were rewarded with great skiing in the sun. Remember, you can’t go riding tomorrow if you don’t come home safely tonight.

Regioni coperte