Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Tue
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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In sintesi

Expect to trigger small and large, dangerous avalanches that will fail the depth of the new snow on most steep slopes.  Snowfall amounts vary greatly throughout the zone, so slabs could be less than or well over a foot in depth, plus more reactive and deeper in wind-loaded pockets. Avoid all steep terrain, and avoid travel beneath large, steep slopes if you see natural avalanches, experience whumphing, or are remotely triggering avalanches. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Storm Slabs

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

    It's likely that you can trigger an avalanche the full depth of the new snow, around a foot or deeper, on most steep slopes. This isn't a day to try to thread the needle, just avoid traveling on slopes greater than 30°. If you remotely trigger avalanches, if you see natural avalanches, or experience whumphing then avoid traveling beneath large steep slopes as well. 

    Backcountry travelers reported triggering many small avalanches and a few large avalanches on all aspects in the Baker backcountry on Sunday. Most were failing close to or just beneath the new snow layer. On steep south aspects, the avalanches ran just above a crust on a thin layer of small, weak, faceted snow.  As for other aspects, conditions were still touchy and avalanches were failing just under the new snow layer on a more subtle weak layer. Some slides were remotely triggered.  We suspect conditions were similar throughout the zone. 

    Even the day after the bulk of the storm, expect conditions to remain spicy in the backcountry as this isn't just your normal storm slab avalanche problem- the weak underlying layers may stick around for a while and conditions won't stabilize as quickly as you may be used to. 

    (2/16/2025)

    A very small yet spooky remotely triggered avalanche in the Baker backcountry on Sunday. You can expect more of these, and larger, when near steep slopes on Monday.

    Photo: Phil Straub - Cascade Mtn Ascents

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose avalanches may run at lower elevations on Monday. We received THIS observation from near Sedro-Woolley, outside of the forecast zone, sharing findings of rollerballs. They were reported at lower elevation in the Baker backcountry as well. Avoid steep slopes and terrain beneath them if you see any nearby activity or in areas with moist or wet snow. 

    We may have missed the window because we suspect these types of avalanches were probably more active on Sunday than they will be on Monday, but keep wet avalanche activity in mind where the snow is moist or wet.

    (2/16/2025)

    An abundance of rollerballs were seen during an afternoon warmup in the Baker backcountry on Sunday. 

    Photo: Zack McGill - Cascade Mtn Ascents

Avalanche Discussion

We're uncertain if an additional load of snow will awaken the Persistent Slab avalanche problem that was listed last week. The last known avalanche to occur on the weak snow that's buried about 2-4ft below the surface was on February 2. If we were getting several inches of water, especially rain, we'd be much more alarmed about avalanches stepping down or failing on the deeper persistent layers, but we don't believe we're quite there with seeing an uptick of avalanches on this layer, although it's not out of the question. Be mindful that mid and upper elevation slopes on the northerly half of the compass are where any deeper avalanches, probably unsurvivable, would likely occur.

Water numbers varied quite a bit in the zone, with the Baker backcountry receiving 6 inches to a foot or more depending on your elevation, and snowmobilers in the Glacier Creek area reported 15+ inches of snow. We suspect further south received larger amounts of snow. Snowfall will peter out overnight, with only a trace expected during the day on Monday. 

If you get out in the backcountry, please share with us what you saw by submitting an observation HERE or on the Avy App. 

 

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