Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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In sintesi

A cold morning will quickly turn into a warm afternoon, and wet avalanches are possible on steep, sunny slopes. Most slides will be small, but use caution in terrain where getting pushed off balance could carry high consequences. Don't linger beneath rock slabs still holding slabs of snow or overhung cornices that may fail unpredictably. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    A few inches of snow rests over a slick crust at most elevations. While the overnight temperatures will be quite chilly, Sunday afternoon will be warm and sunny. As the recent snow becomes wet, it could slide easily on the underlying crust. We might see more rollerballs than actual wet loose avalanches. But while avalanches are expected to be small and inconsequential, they could be dangerous if you are knocked over in terrain where you could fall through rocks or cliffs. We have limited information from upper elevations, so while we expect similar conditions, if you find more than a few inches of fresh snow becoming wet and heavy, avalanches could be larger. 

    As we head further into spring, sagging cornices can fail unexpectedly, and rock slabs may still shed chunks of snow. Avoid lingering under large, overhanging cornices, slopes with open glide cracks, and cliffs still holding snow. If you are sinking below your boot top into wet snow, these wet snow problems are more likely, and it's probably time to move to shady aspects or lower angle terrain. 

    (12/10/2024)

    Rollerballs often preceed wet loose avalanches.

    Photo: Irene Henninger

Avalanche Discussion

This is the last avalanche forecast for the 24-25 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through April 27th. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter!

The West Central Zone picked up a few inches of snow overnight and into Saturday, along with strong winds. There wasn't much precipitation, but at the highest elevations, wind slabs may have formed on lee slopes below ridgelines. If you find stiff wind-drifts deeper than about 6 inches, you could trigger small avalanches on steep slopes. These may not be a problem on their own, but if you're in terrain where a small avalanche could push you over rocks or cliffs, the consequences could be significant. Look for textured surfaces, cornice formations, or pillowlike drifts to identify likely wind slab locations. Use quick hand pits or small test slopes to observe how wind-drifted snow behaves. If you observe cracking or if the snow slides easily on underlying layers, avalanches are more likely. 

You are also likely to find challenging travel conditions and long approaches on dirt to continuous snow this time of the year. Watch for holes and open creeks and bring appropriate equipment for travel on icy surfaces to prevent long sliding falls. 

Thursday night's fast-moving storm brought .5-1" of liquid water to the West Central area. Most elevations saw rain, but the higher elevation ridgelines likely picked up around 10-12" of snow. We have limited information from the zone and upper elevations, but 3-4 feet of heavy snow at upper elevations. In many places, this recent snow is capped with a new melt-freeze crust. 

Even though the forecast season has ended, you can still read about conditions and contribute by submitting an observation.

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