Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

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

In sintesi

More sun and warmer temperatures are in the forecast for Friday. The amount of wet avalanche activity will vary by location, but keep an eye out for signs of instability no matter where you end up in the mountains. Avoid travel on or directly below steep slopes where you find wet and mushy snow, rollerballing, or fresh avalanches.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    Both temperatures and the amount of sun will be a notch higher as we get to the end of the workweek. They are both key indicators that wet avalanches are more likely to occur or could be easier to trigger. The higher sun angles of April mean nearly all aspects can warm up with sun exposure. Most slopes should sport crust in the morning. It will eventually break down and allow the upper layers to keep warming, melting, and become a bit more unstable.

    Warmer conditions will also increase the chance of seeing cornice fall, glide avalanches, or other wet-snow-shedding-from-steep-terrain events. These are unlikely and should be limited in distribution, but you don’t want to be in the way. It’s worth noting that these types of avalanches frequently trigger a larger one on the slope below.  Minimize time spent below scary-looking cornices, glide cracks, or other unstable snow features in the terrain above you. Take extra care if heading into bigger alpine terrain as the day warms.

    The bigger the terrain, the bigger the wet avalanches. Loose snow avalanches can also pull out slabs, as seen in this photo.

Avalanche Discussion

You might find cooler temperatures and patches of dry wind-drifted snow if you head up to the highest elevations. Don’t let fair weather lull you into complacency about wind slab avalanches, especially with consequential terrain in the runout below. Gauge the bond of slab layers before diving into big terrain where the snow is still dry and winter-like. Low elevations generally have minimal snow cover below 4000’.

Observations tend to get scarce on weekdays in spring. Precipitation amounts since the weekend varied from 1.3" at the Martin Ridge Snotel above Baker Lake, to 0.5" at Heather Meadows, to nearly nothing in the eastern half of the zone near the Cascade Crest. Actual snowfall amounts differ greatly by elevation, but in general, you can expect to find anywhere from a few inches to well over a foot of dry or moist snow over the crust buried in late March. Overall, the upper snowpack has become more settled and supportable after the slop-fest of the atmospheric river and then very warm temperatures between March 23rd and 27th. 

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