Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
Vedi sulla mappa

Pericolo valanghe

Fri
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
Open full map
Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto last year. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Don't get lulled into a false sense of security as Spring officially starts. The closer you are to the Cascade Crest and the higher in elevation you go, the more likely it will be to trigger a large slab avalanche, especially in exposed terrain. Look for signs of wind transport, such as uneven snow surfaces and blowing snow. Stick to lower angle, sheltered slopes if you experience long shooting cracks from your equipment or audible collapsing.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The higher in elevation you travel, the more likely it will be to find terrain that a wind slab will have formed in. Older slabs will be less reactive, but triggering one could create an avalanche large enough to bury you. Newer slabs will be smaller but could be found in atypical locations due to shifty wind directions.

    Wind slabs typically form just below ridgelines and in terrain features that are gully or chute shaped, but sometimes slabs can form in "sneakier" terrain, such as in burn areas or lower down on slopes than you might expect when the wind is strong. Look for clear signs of wind transport: dune-like drifts, cornice formation, and blowing snow. As you move about the terrain and the snow underneath you begins to feel denser and look unevenly distributed, assume wind slabs probably lurk nearby.

    (3/18/2025)

    A small sledder triggered wind slab avalanche in the Salmon La Sac. SS-AMu-R1-D1-O

    Photo: Evan Pearson

Avalanche Discussion

Welcome Spring! You sure do feel wintery, and we're here for it!

We are in the midst of a storm cycle with some nuanced weather inputs. An afternoon warm up mid-storm on Thursday could increase the sensitivity of storm slabs. The wind has been shifting from west to east and back to west, increasing in strength with each day. We are tracking a layered snowpack that we are still trying to nail down the properties of. All the while, backcountry travelers have been stepping out and triggering avalanches. There has been at least one reported catch and carry every day since last Thursday throughout the forecast region. Fortunately, all parties were uninjured and skied out under their own power. 

All of this stands to serve as a good reminder that we must ease into terrain after stormy periods, regardless of the time of year or however powder hungry we feel. Ultimately, just keep your objectives simple. Exposed terrain is going to be the most likely place to trigger an avalanche, so have a solid route plan that keeps you in sheltered terrain while we let the snowpack adjust to its new load.

By and large, the snowpack lacks consistent coverage below 4500 ft in the East South zone, so we don't expect there to be much avalanche hazard at lower elevations. Keep an eye out for melted out hazards such as rocks and downed trees which could be obscured by new snow falling and accumulating.

Submit an observation to help NWAC Forecasters reduce uncertainty. It can be short, simple, and even anonymous. Visit the Recent Observations page to get an idea of what backcountry travelers share that helps entertain the forecasts in other zones.

Regioni coperte