Bollettino valanghe

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sun
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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In sintesi

With plenty of low-density snow already in place, the addition of strong easterly winds may result in Wind Slab creation on Saturday. These slabs could develop on different slopes than you’re used to seeing them. Keep an eye out for visual clues such as textured surfaces or actively blowing snow to help you identify unstable pockets to steer around.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds should intensify and shift easterly at the Pass over the weekend. Look for Wind Slabs to develop near ridgelines, convex rollovers, or rocky features such as confined gullies. Easterly winds often create slabs on different aspects than you may be used to or could cross-load slopes and gullies. So keep your observation eyes open and don’t immediately default to your usual travel patterns. Look for actively blowing snow, newly built sharp cornices, wind-stiffened snow, or visual clues like fresh drifts behind objects to help key you into wind-loaded features to avoid. 

    Where they have developed, cornices are likely still young and fresh at this point in the season. Be cautious traveling on or below these ticking time bombs, they notoriously break in unpredictable ways.

    (12/2/2022)

    Backcountry travelers observed cracking snow surfaces and failing blocks of snow in wind-loaded terrain in the upper Chair Peak Basin on 12/2. 

    Photo: Public Observation

Avalanche Discussion

After receiving over 30” of cold dry snow this past week, it's beginning to look a lot like winter up at Snoqualmie Pass. At road level, snowpack depth has more than doubled since Tuesday. This weekend should give us a bit of a reprieve from a snowfall standpoint, but it will still be cold and windy, keeping that wintertime feel alive. 

All of the recent new snow fell on what is believed to be a relatively strong early-season snowpack. On Thursday, NWAC team members in the Alpental Valley did find some mid-storm density breaks in the new snow but received limited results in snowpack tests. Additionally, a natural cycle occurred during the height of the storm in all elevation bands, but we have yet to receive word of any large avalanches that give us pause. Of course, the season is young and it could be that access and observations have been limited, leaving us with more questions than answers about conditions at this point. You can help us and the community out with this by submitting public observations.

What we do know is that even a small slide could hurt you in high-consequence terrain. And right now there may be more consequential terrain than normal. Even with the increase in snow depth, open creeks, holes around rocks, and plenty of small trees exist to make travel more difficult and dangerous than you may be used to. Take it slow and keep your partner in sight with all these early-season and deep snow hazards.

Regioni coperte