Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
Vedi sulla mappa

Pericolo valanghe

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

In sintesi

Wind-drifted snow below ridgelines, on steep convexities and around features near and above treeline could avalanche up to about a foot deep with a human trigger.  Feel for heavier snow, scan for pillows or wind-shaped features, and pay attention to clues like cracking as indicators for steep slopes to avoid. Small loose snow avalanches could occur in steep areas, which could be dry but if the sun shines enough they could be wet.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

     As you gain elevation and make your way towards more exposed locations you could still come across a reactive wind slab. Deposits are probably limited to the top foot or two of snow, and you're most likely to encounter them near ridgelines, in gullies, around rocky outcroppings or on steep rollovers. Some wind slabs may be hidden under a few inches of non wind-affected snow, making them difficult to find. 

    A few small human triggered wind slabs were found in neighboring zones over the last few days. If you feel thicker snow,  experience long, shooting cracks, or other signs of instability, take this as an obvious clue that avalanches could occur on nearby steep slopes. Avoid slopes greater than 35° where you identify wind loaded snow. 

    With warming temperatures there's a chance that previously low-density snow could "slab up" and get heavier, and avalanches more related to storm slabs could occur if this happens. 

    Wind-loaded ridgelines are probably the most suspect location where it's possible for you to trigger avalanches on Monday. Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Loose Dry

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–1.5

    Dry loose avalanches ran both naturally and with a human trigger on Sunday. Check out the video to watch some impressive medium sized, far-running avalanches occurring with a human trigger in the neighboring West North zone on Sunday. This type of avalanches shouldn't really catch you by surprise; they're something that you should expect to trigger if you enter steep terrain.  Make sure to be aware of the locations of other people, and the sluff around you, so you don't trigger one that takes out a friend or yourself if you're on or below a steep slope. There's a chance they could occur naturally, via tree bomb or near cliffy areas, especially if temperatures start inching up.

    Regarding temperatures and cloud cover, we can expect to see slightly warmer temperatures and possibly slightly less cloud cover on Monday, so wet loose avalanches may materialize, although we don't expect them to be highly active Monday. 

    (4/2/2023)

    Human triggered dry loose avalanches were easy to trigger on any steep slopes on Sunday. The Arm, Baker backcountry. 

    Photo: Jason Speer

Avalanche Discussion

Below treeline, you may still encounter very small slabs or loose snow avalanches, but it's not expected that they'll be large enough to affect your day. Do make sure to stay alert for large tree bombs, creek holes, firm snow, and other springtime hazards which could cause bigger problems for you at lower elevations. 

Storm totals from the weekend are in the 1-2ft range throughout the zone. We'll continue getting small showers with the finicky springtime conditions in the next few days. Previous to the weekend's snow, slopes on the southern half of the compass were moist and now have a crust. Northerly areas may have managed to avoid a crust, although wind affected most other surfaces. 

Snow immersion may not be at the forefront of your mind right now, but it could still be a problem out there. Take a look at the video in the media section, which provides a good reminder to take this problem very seriously. It may be a long video but it's well worth watching. 

Regioni coperte