Olympics

Dangerous conditions may linger into the day on Wednesday as a recently dry and unconsolidated snowpack continues to adjust to heavy, warm rain and water continues to flow deep within the snowpack. You're most likley to trigger Wet Loose avalanches on slopes steeper than 35 degrees where you sink into wet snow up to your boot top. Manage the uncertainty with the snowpack by dialing back your terrain selection and avoiding large avalanche slopes steeper than 35 degrees.

Hurricane Ridge added 12" to their snowpack from Monday up until the early morning hours on Tuesday before snow changed to rain, resulting in 6" of snowpack consolidation by 6 PM on Tuesday. Widespread avalanche cycles were well-documented in the Stevens Pass corridor when the snow changed from rain and with similar amounts of dry snow before the transition, expect to find widespread large and chunky avalanche debris throughout the terrain.

Given our uncertainty regarding how the snowpack is handling the water and how quickly it will refreeze you'll be well served to adopt an assessment mind-set on Wednesday as dangerous conditions may linger into the day. Look for signs of very recent avalanche activity to provide clues. Cracks opening on slopes may indicate that glide avalanches may fail on smooth rock faces. Avoid traveling on or beneath smooth rock faces or steep convex rollovers where the slope may have a history of glide avalanches.

In spite of significantly colder (below freezing temperatures on Wednesday) the surface may be slow to refreeze and you might find yourself sinking into deep, wet snow. In this case, Wet Loose avalanches may be large, destructive and deeply entraining.

If you are traveling on southerly slopes, a melt-freeze crust formed 01/07 that could form a bed surface for water percolating through the snowpack to pool and create a large and potentially widely breaking wet slab avalanche. You can dig down 1-2 ft in the snowpack and check for free water in the snowpack which may help identify whether conditions exist for wet slab instability.

2020-21 Forecast Schedule: Avalanche danger ratings will be issued for the Olympics every Friday through Sunday and during mid-week holidays. During the week when the Hurricane Ridge road is closed, forecast information will be updated daily to include expected conditions and relevant travel advice under the No Rating label.   

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state, and federal health officials. Avoid unnecessary risks that could impact first responders and stress medical resources.  Wear a mask when appropriate, practice social distancing, and consider recreating closer to home.