Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sun
Alta quota
1 · Debole
Limite del bosco
1 · Debole
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

Continue to use normal caution while traveling in avalanche terrain. Look out for small, wet avalanches initiating from steep sunny slopes or cliffs. If traveling at the highest elevations, identify areas of wind-drifted, snow before committing to exposed, consequential terrain.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet snow avalanches are unlikely on Saturday. They should still be on your radar given continued mild temperatures and recently observed avalanche activity. About 4” of new snow fell on Thursday. The new snow, warming, and a bit of sun produced small natural and human-triggered avalanches the same day. No new wet avalanches were reported on Friday. 

    Keep an eye on steep slopes overhead, especially those seeing strong, direct sunshine. Put some distance between yourself and terrain where you observe rollerballs or small avalanches. While there is a higher probability of seeing a wet avalanche or two on solar aspects, any slope can become unstable if it gets warm enough.

    (12/15/2023)

    A small, shallow wet avalanche on a low-elevation slope in West North.

Avalanche Discussion

If you are traveling up into the alpine, keep an eye out for pockets of wind slab. In most areas there just isn’t much dry snow available for wind transport as a thin surface crust is capping the dry snow below it. But strong winds are forecast for the highest elevations. Any dry snow up there can drift into fresh, unstable slabs. A small wind slab can still carry you over a cliff or into a crevasse. 

Observers in West North found a mixed bag with a combination of prior wind transport, prior wet avalanches, and variable snow surfaces. Snoqualmie and Stevens Passes stayed under the influence of cold, easterly flow and saw less sun and more clouds than West Central. These zones should begin to warm up on Saturday.

Conditions have improved with better-than-expected riding conditions (but definitely not powder) found at mid and upper elevations on Friday. There are still plenty of open creeks, exposed or partially buried rocks, stumps, and frozen chunks of older avalanche debris. Stay vigilant to early season hazards.

 

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