Bollettino valanghe

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Mon
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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In sintesi

If you travel earlier in the day, a crusty surface will help limit the avalanche danger. As the snow warms, it will become wet and weak. You could see wet avalanches anywhere you find manky snow deeper than your ankle.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    There won’t be much of a wet loose hazard to start the day. However, as the crust softens the hazard will increase. You can trigger a slide on steep slopes where you find more than about 4 inches of wet sticky snow regardless of aspect. If one slope gets unstable, head to more shaded areas or lower-angled terrain. Most of these avalanches will be relatively small and easy to manage. Just don’t let them push you into  a creek or over a cliff.

    You may also see a few natural wet loose avalanches. These will be most common on E-S-W aspects where snow falling off rocks and trees can trigger slides on the slopes below. If you see slides gouging deeper, running longer, and growing larger, then you’re dealing with a totally different wet beast. Give these types of avalanches a wide berth. 

    Similarly, snow may release from rocky faces, and cornices can collapse. These “shed-style” avalanches are hard to predict and can happen at any time of day or night. Pay attention to what’s above you, and limit any time you spend on or under this terrain.

    (3/17/2024)

    Example: Sizeable debris (D1.5) from wet loose avalanches on southerly slopes of the Bern Chutes above Hwy 2.

     

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

Preliminary Report: NWAC is saddened to report an avalanche fatality as a result of a cornice fall on Mount St Helens. On Saturday, March 30, 2024, a snowboarder summited the peak. While standing near the top, he triggered a cornice and fell to his death. Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community.

Discussion: 

Sunday looks like another beautiful day in the mountains. There will be plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures to help the snow soften. It should be a bit breezier than Saturday. These cool northerly winds could keep the snowpack frozen a bit longer. 

On shaded slopes near the tops of the highest peaks, there may be a few pockets of cold, dry snow. You might see a bit of blowing snow or drifting. However, we don’t expect a significant wind slab issue to develop. Any new slabs should be very shallow and small. 

With this warm-up, we’re mostly worried about the new snow above the 3/21 crust. At middle and upper elevations, that prominent crust is often about 12-18 inches below the surface. 

We didn’t hear much information from the Stevens area on Saturday, but in many other nearby zones, rollerballs and small wet loose slides were common. Many travelers reported dry snow on northerly aspects becoming moist in the afternoon. All these wet surfaces should freeze overnight and produce a new crust for Sunday.

Regioni coperte