Bollettino valanghe

Northern Wallowas

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 3 years ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

It remains possible to trigger a very large avalanche breaking 2-6' deep in the snowpack. You are most likely to trigger one of these avalanches in steep terrain where a thin spot in the snowpack exists.  New snow above a thick crust will create the potential for triggering loose dry avalanches in steeper terrain.  Staying off slopes steeper than 30 degrees is advised to avoid triggering an avalanche.

This forecast is sponsored by La Grande Sno-Drifters Snowmobile Club.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–3

    The snowpack in the Northern Wallowas is currently weaker than the other forecast zones. Despite the warm weather and rain in late January, poor snowpack structure still exists. The possibility of triggering a persistent slab avalanche is still a very real one. The slab of snow sitting above the weak layers has continued to gain cohesion over the last couple of weeks.  This means that if you were to trigger a persistent slab avalanche, it would propagate further and be larger than you might think!   Triggering one of these avalanches would have serious consequences. If you want to avoid avalanches you should stay off of slopes greater than 30 degrees. 

    Last Sunday, forecaster Nick Burks experienced large collapses in the snowpack in the Mt. Howard area.  They were large enough to shake the snow off of nearby trees.  This is the snowpack screaming at us that it is still primed to create an avalanche.  Listen to what the snowpack is telling you.  

    Hi, I'm the Problem, It's Me.  (1/21/2024) Photo: Wallowa Avalanche Center

  • Loose Dry

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

    Since last Tuesday, the Northern Wallowas have picked up around 10"-12" of new snow that sits above the Rain Crust that was buried on February 1st.  As time progresses, the light new snow will settle into more of a slab and could become a bit more reactive.  During your travels today, I'd encourage you to dig multiple hand pits down to the Rain Crust to observe how well the new snow has bonded to the crust.   See if you can pick up a slab of snow. If you can hold it like a big ol' cheeseburger and take a bite out of it, you've got a storm slab.  If it just crumbles in your hands, then you should be thinking about the potential to trigger a Dry Loose Avalanche or "sluff" in steeper terrain.  Use small and inconsequential steeper test slopes no bigger than a two-story house to test the reactiveness of the new snow.  Ride your machine or boards over the test slope to see if you release small dry loose avalanches or more of a slab.  

    Dry Loose avalanches should be on the smaller side, but could still catch and drag you over consequential terrain such as cliffs and trees,  or into a gully where the consequences could be higher. 

    With a sunny day on tap, solar aspects may start to produce roller balls this afternoon as direct sun and the lack of cooling winds start to warm the snow surface.  If you find yourself on solar aspects in the afternoon and find yourself up to your boot tops in wet snow, it's time to find a shadier aspect! 

     Skier triggered loose dry avalanches.

Avalanche Discussion

Rain, warm temps, and lack of significant low-elevation snow means we are dropping the below treeline danger to Low. Low danger does not mean NO danger! Pay attention to what the snow is telling you and remember the snowpack near and above the treeline has Considerable danger.

Fairly consistent storms have been depositing snow on top of the rain crust since February 1st.  The new snow has settled into 10-12" of snow above the Rain Crust.  Observations from the zone have shown pretty consistent reactivity in snowpack tests.  Poor snowpack structure in the Northern Wallowas means we need to stay patient in our terrain choices.  It is just not the time to be stepping out into terrain steeper than 30 degrees with this snowpack structure.  

Check out an observation from last week in the Northern Wallowas here.   

WAC Executive Director/Forecaster, Victor McNeil wrote this excellent Conditions Blog. It provides a great summary of conditions in January and what that means for the snowpack now in February.

Keep the observations coming!  Let us know what you are seeing in your travels by submitting an observation here.  

 

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