Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
Vedi sulla mappa

Pericolo valanghe

Sat
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
Open full map
Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 5 years ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Danger should peak during the afternoon hours as winds ramp up and snow showers begin. Look for actively blowing snow to help you identify wind-loaded features to steer around. If you notice that the snow surface is cracking under your weight, consider avoiding steep features over 35 degrees.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Areas of wind-drifted snow will continue to be the most likely location for you to trigger an avalanche on Friday. These unstable pockets should be larger as you ascend in elevation and are often found on leeward slopes near ridgelines, convex rollovers, or near rocky features such as confined gullies and the base of cliffs. The snow may appear to be smooth and pillow-like or there could be visual clues nearby to help you identify areas that are wind affected. These clues include textured snow surfaces, freshly built cornices, or small drifts behind objects. Using upslope tests or jumping on small test slopes during your travels are quick and easy ways to gain insight into how the snow is reacting to your weight. If you find that the snow is failing easily in your tests or you suspect a slope to be wind-loaded, seek out lower angled terrain options.

    (2/1/2022)

    Using visual clues can help you identify wind-loaded slopes to avoid.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Thursday’s storm didn’t produce the wind and snow originally forecasted, and we should be in a bit of a lull until the next weather pulse arrives Friday afternoon. This next storm isn’t expected to deliver significant snow totals to the West South, but the winds should ramp up quite a bit as the storm approaches. These gusty winds could help to increase the avalanche hazard throughout the day. Professionals near Crystal Mountain on Thursday found the recent snow was gaining cohesion and that a widespread crust had formed on the surface. If you find that the snow surface is damp or you notice heavy snow over weak snow in the area you are traveling, start to think about more widespread Storm Slab or Wet Loose avalanches, especially if temperatures are warm or you are in the sunshine.

Generally speaking, there is about a foot of new snow over the Late January Crust throughout the zone. This depth will vary depending on location and exposure to winds, and has reportedly had a moderate bond. We expect all avalanches at this point to occur above the Late January Crust. A weak face-crust sandwich snowpack structure has been identified in some areas of the zone around this interface. We believe this setup is predominantly found on slopes that do not contain a southerly tilt (E-N-W) and at this point no known avalanches have occurred on this layer. We will be watching as we incrementally increase the load above it to see when it may reach its tipping point. If avalanches start to fail on these persistent grain types, they could act in surprising ways by breaking above you or spanning farther distances than you may be used to.

Regioni coperte