Bollettino valanghe

Elkhorns

Wallowa Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sat
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 6 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Complex avalanche conditions exist and human-triggered avalanches remain likely at upper elevations. New snow still needs time to bond, and old snow is beginning to show signs of instability. Avoid steep terrain and use careful route selection. Avalanche likelihood and size will increase as you gain elevation.  

Today's forecast is sponsored by Flowstate Handyman of Wallowa County.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Storm Slabs

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

    About a foot and a half of new snow fell earlier this week, and as it settles and consolidates, it will develop into a slab that will take time to bond to the snow below. You will likely find deeper and more developed slabs at upper elevations, where more snow has fallen and wind has increased accumulation. As you travel through the mountains, be on the lookout for cracking in the snow surface, which is an indicator that the new snow is creating a cohesive slab that could lead to a more destructive avalanche. Hand shears and indicator slopes are also excellent tools to use today. If you see evidence of slab formation, avoid travelling on steep terrain.

    (2/19/2026)

    Cracks in the snow surface like this are an early indicator of storm slab avalanches. If you see these signs, stay off of steep terrain.

    Photo: Sarah Jakober

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Beneath the new storm snow, the situation gets more complicated. The Elkhorns have received over 2 feet of snow since February 8th, ending the January drought and burying a layer of facets. These facets are becoming reactive in snowpack tests, meaning a skier, snowmobiler, or smaller avalanche could trigger this weak layer and cause a larger and more destructive avalanche. Additionally, layers of buried surface hoar have been identified 1.5 feet down on the Valentine's Day interface, further complicating our snowpack.

    Persistent slabs do not always show signs of instability before releasing. Collapses, whumpfs, and shooting cracks are a tell-tale sign of instability, but their absence does not guarantee safe conditions. Give steep terrain a wide margin this week and avoid travelling on or beneath slopes steeper than 30 degrees until we get more information on how this weak layer is handling the new load of snow.

    (2/18/2026) Photo: Wallowa Avalanche Center

    Weak snow beneath the 2/8 crust is starting to show failures in our stability tests.

Avalanche Discussion

The Elkhorns are a range with high spatial variability, meaning conditions can change quickly from drainage to drainage. Use the forecast as a starting point, but continue assessing conditions as you travel. The avalanche danger may be lower where you're skiing, but can change quickly on a slope-by-slope basis, given the nature of persistent weak layers. 

Careful snowpack evaluation will be critical in the coming weeks given the continued possibility of overlapping avalanche problems. Choosing low-consequence terrain will be the key to successfully managing these problems. 

If you are out in the mountains, please send us an observation of what you saw. All observations are noteworthy and greatly help the forecasters. If you don't want everyone to see where you went you can set it to private and only the forecasters will see it.

Beacon Parks: Thank you to everyone who helped establish the beacon training park at Anthony Lakes (across from the ski lift on Mud Lake) and near the warming shelter at Salt Creek Summit snopark outside of Joseph, OR. These are free tools that we should all take advantage of.  

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