Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

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

In sintesi

As the snow surface becomes weak and wet, expect avalanches to become easier to trigger. This could happen on different slopes at different times. Once you find wet snow deeper than your ankle, its time to head to lower angle or less slushy terrain.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    A weak overnight freeze may limit avalanche concerns Sunday morning, but it won’t last long. Sunshine and warm temperatures will quickly cause the surface to become weak and wet. Aspect, elevation, and slope angle can effect when and how fast this happens. Pay close attention to the snow surface. Once any overnight crust breaks down, game on. The chance for avalanchs may go from near zero to easy to trigger quite quickly. Even though they may seem simple, these slides can grab you and drag you off a cliff or into trees. It's often hard to say exactly how big they'll become or how far they will run. 

    At this point in the wet loose cycle, we’re mainly worried about human triggered slides. Though the lack of a solid freeze certainly creates uncertainty. If all the snow above the 3/25 becomes weak, you could see larger natural wet avalanches. These slides would be most likely on steep rocky faces that warm faster than the surrounding terrain. These bigger gouging style wet slides are hard to predict and often catch us off guard. Consider planning your day to stay away from big craggy faces to remove this issue.

Avalanche Discussion

We’re in for another beautiful spring day on Sunday. Mild temperatures and high thin clouds overnight could impact how well the surface freezes. With mostly sunny skies and temperatures once again expected to reach into the 50s, any crust probably won’t last long. Expect conditions to change rapidly through the morning. 

It feels like spring, but the upper snowpack hasn’t fully transitioned. Below the surface, nearly a foot or more of drier snow still exists above the prominent 3/25 crust. This is the snow we’re most concerned with on Sunday. Several interstorm layers might still linger. Maybe most concerning is the 3/29 interface, a few inches above the burly crust. Facets were seen at this interface near the Crystal Mt and produced shooting cracks this past week. With the warm weather, any lingering weak layers will probably heal quickly. If you’re going to find weak older snow, it's most likely at higher elevations and on shaded aspects. Above our forecast areas (~8000ft), the snowpack may be very different. Be ready to assess conditions to determine when, where, and how to travel. 

There’s not a lot of snow left in the rocks or along ridgelines, but hot weather like this could certainly bring it down. If you see snow clinging to the rocks or cornices looming on the ridges, don’t linger below. They could fall without warning. Travel conditions continue to be a major factor. You could encounter icy slopes, breakable crust, and patches of bare ground. Open creeks, random holes, downed logs, and exposed rocks add to the fun. Take your time with these persistent travel hazards.

Regioni coperte