Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Wed
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
1 · Debole
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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In sintesi

We're uncertain how the weather will play out on Tuesday. Hopefully, the scenario is some fresh snow. Winds could form stiffer slabs at upper elevations where you could trigger a small avalanche. Mixed precipitation of sleet, freezing rain, and rain are also possible, so be prepared for icy travel and hazards from low snow cover. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Look for actively blowing snow, deeper drifts, and cornice formations along ridgelines to help identify likely wind slab locations. There isn't much precipitation in the forecast, and wind speeds aren't very impressive. Therefore, we expect wind slabs to be small and isolated. Still, they may form over slick crusts or weak snow surfaces and be triggered easily. So, if you see shooting cracks or identify hollow-sounding pillows of snow, consider steering around steep terrain. Getting knocked over, even by a small avalanche, could be a rough, painful ride over shallowly buried obstacles. 

    (3/18/2022)

    At upper elevations you could trigger small wind slabs like in this photo on Tuesday. 

    Photo: Andrew Kiefer

Avalanche Discussion

There is certainly a chance for a nasty mixed bag of precipitation types on Tuesday. So you could see a mix of freezing rain, sleet, or rain instead of snow. Some small, wet loose avalanches may also be possible if it's raining on dry snow or the rain breaks down surface crusts. 

Last week, I traveled in the Bumping Lake area and found a wet and shallow snowpack (6-12 inches) at lower elevations. Once above 5000 ft, snow depths became more consistent at 2-3ft. The warm temperatures and constant cloud cover had the snowpack warm and prevented any refreeze in this area. Stepping off of my skis resulted in sinking through the entire snowpack to the ground. With the recent cold temperatures, the snowpack is hopefully in a more frozen state, creating new problematic travel conditions with slick, icy surfaces. 

The last significant snowfall for the area was over December 9-10th, which brought 6-12 inches of snow across the east-south. Unfortunately, the storm ended warm with rain. Since then, observers reported variable travel and a breakable crust extending to upper elevations. We are uncertain about the current rain/snow line across the East South. It's likely between 7000 and 7500 ft, and we have minimal information about the snowpack above these elevations. Prepare with this uncertainty as you travel by making frequent snowpack observations, using test slopes and quick hand pits to see how the snow reacts. Snow that slides easily or test slopes that produce mini avalanches are signs that avalanches are more likely. 

Observations have been sparse since the recent storm, so if you get out, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation. 

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