Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sat
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
3 · Marcato
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 3 years ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Plan for a messy and potentially dangerous Friday with a sudden shift to warmer temperatures and rain. Keep your plan and terrain choices simple so you can easily respond to changing weather conditions. If you observe heavy rainfall, then anticipate lots of natural avalanches and High avalanche danger - and avoid being on or under all steep slopes. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    There is currently 3-6’ of cold, dry snow out there. It probably won’t play nice with the sharply rising temperatures and rainfall in the forecast. Wet avalanches should go from being an issue at lower elevations in the morning to mid-elevations by the end of the day, If snow levels rise higher than expected then wet avalanches could creep into upper elevations as well.

    Rollerballs and pinwheels and thick, sticky snow are the first signs of warming. While loose snow avalanches are the kind you are most likely to see, also look out for sagging cornices and blocks of snow sliding off of cliffs and rock slabs. Wet slab avalanches are also possible. 

    Stay away from steep slopes as temps rise and snow turns to rain. Wet avalanches often initiate from steep treed or cliffy terrain. Keep track of what is overhead.

    (3/26/2021)

    Rollerballs are an early sign the snow is warming and becoming unstable.

    Photo: Andrew Kiefer

  • Storm Slabs

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

    While wet avalanches are probably the more dangerous ones you could run into, unstable slabs of new snow should also be out there, especially first thing in the morning. Snowfall will begin this evening and continue until it turns to rain at some point on Friday.

    The current snow surface of cold, dry snow might not be up to the task of supporting the denser snow that will fall on top of it. Simple tests like slope cuts, skin track tests, and hand shears can help you get an idea of how unstable the new slabs might be.

    (2/13/2021)

    A small snowmobile triggered storm slab.

    Photo: Jon Ferrian

Avalanche Discussion

Good snow conditions and little in the way of avalanche activity were reported from the forecast zones neighboring West Central. In West North, one recent natural avalanche (D1) was observed on the north side of Table Mt. in the Baker BC. Debris from a natural avalanche that released mid-storm was spotted in Glacier Creek on the north side of Mt. Baker. While wind-affected snow was easy enough to find, it was also easy to avoid.  Much less avalanche activity was reported from Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes - a big change from yesterday when small, touchy slabs were found nearly everywhere in both of those zones.

There is anywhere from three to six feet of snow over the melt-freeze crust buried just before the New Year on 12/30/23. While a few layer interfaces produced sizeable avalanches so far in 2024, none of the interfaces stayed reactive enough for long enough to reach problem status. That being said, pockets of weak snow with plenty of slab above still exist here and there in the forecast zone.

You can dig down to asses snowpack layering, especially in less frequently traveled locations. Whatever you do, don’t ignore obvious signs of instability like whumping, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches. When in doubt steer towards lower angled, less consequential terrain.

Regioni coperte