Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sat
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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In sintesi

Don’t linger under steep, rocky terrain holding chunky-looking snow or where you see large cracks spanning the snow surface. The onset of heavy rainfall Friday night and into the weekend will cause a rise in avalanche danger.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Unlikely
    Dimensione
    1.5–2.5

    Continued above-freezing temperatures will sustain the risk of glide avalanches. You can travel most mountain terrain safely. What you need to look out for are steep and rocky areas where the snowpack is visibly slipping on the ground below. Look for bulges of snow, wrinkles in the snow surface, or very obvious large cracks exposing ground below the snowpack. These features can be hard to pick out in the terrain above you, especially in narrow gullies or otherwise rugged terrain. 

    It’s impossible to predict if or when these slopes will avalanche. Just stay out of the way, or at least don't take a break below a slope showing the signs and symptoms of glide. The likelihood of seeing more glide or wet loose avalanches will increase if rain comes earlier and harder than forecast on Friday. 

    (12/4/2024)

    A recent glide avalanche on the south side of Herman around 5000'. While this one is relatively small, it would still be bad times if you were in the way.

Avalanche Discussion

West North might have passed the peak of this round of glide avalanches, but the 6th consecutive day of above-freezing temperatures shouldn’t be taken lightly. Increasing winds and less sun may reduce the danger at higher elevations on Friday. But heavy rainfall overnight into Saturday morning could unleash another volley. Meltwater or rain lubricating the snowpack-ground interface is often the primary factor in glide avalanches.

In addition to glide avalanches around the Baker Backcountry, observations from Canyon Creek indicated that sub-zone also saw a glide avalanche cycle. A dozen or more glide avalanches were reported on all aspects up to and possibly above 5500’.

Avalanche danger should be minimal in terrain not threatened by glide avalanches or other overhead hazards. Be on the lookout for a rouge wind slab in upper elevation terrain holding dry, recently wind-drifted snow.

Snowpack observations have pointed towards minimal instability - other than areas where the whole thing is coming unglued from the ground below. A crust buried in late November can still be found about 30cm below the snow surface. But weak, faceted snow in the layers above and below the crust appears to have rounded. The weakest snow is currently at the surface on shady, mid and upper-elevation slopes. It’s most likely these weak, near-surface facets will get destroyed by rain before they have a chance to get buried and become a future weak layer.

Regioni coperte