Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Mon
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
1 · Debole
Sotto il limite
Senza grado
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In sintesi

Access issues persist across West North with washouts, landslides, and ongoing road closures. Rain and wet snow will return to mid-elevations. Look for new snow, increasing winds, and shallow wind slabs if you reach upper-elevation terrain.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

    A weak storm will bring some new snow up high on Sunday. Look for moderate to strong winds, and accumulations of new snow above 6000'. Fresh wind slabs should generally be small but can still be quite reactive, especially where they form over a slick crust. Identify areas of actively drifting snow and monitor changes in new-snow depth and texture as you gain elevation and change aspect.

    There is a better chance of finding fresh slabs farther east in the forecast zone. Temperatures have been colder in that direction, and the wind should find drier snow to drift as you get closer to the Cascade Crest.

    Wind ripples and texture are signs that you could find a fresh wind slab nearby.

  • Glide Cracks

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

    A few areas still have wet snow clinging to cliffs and other steep terrain features that could shed with another shot of mild temperatures and light rain. Glide avalanches and other types of shedding events are mostly a problem at middle elevations, but you might also find wet, unstable snow at the transition to upper elevations. 

    Limit your time below the usual suspects like sagging cornices, drippy wet, snow-covered cliffs, and anything else that looks poorly attached to the slopes above you. This includes terrain features, both very large and very small. 

    (3/25/2024)

    Rocky faces that still hold snow could shed with little or no warning. Pay attention to what's above you and don't hangout underneath these features. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

If you find yourself in the mountains this weekend, consider that there has been almost no information available for avalanche forecasting other than weather station data. Be prepared to assess the actual avalanche danger for yourself as you climb into snow-covered terrain. Variation in rainfall and new snow totals, snow on the ground, and temperatures can result in markedly different conditions within a single forecast zone.

A report from upper elevation terrain on Mt. Baker indicated firmer conditions with an crust capping the surface in some areas. Active wind transport was limited to the highest reaches of the mountain. Pre-Big Rain observations reported 4-6 feet of snow at upper elevations. The Brown Top [5840’] and Easy Pass [5280'] Snotels are reporting 63 and 49 inches of snow as of Saturday evening.

Wet snow surfaces at mid-elevations are likely firming up during cooler periods. Still, heavy rainfall from another atmospheric river event on Monday will saturate the snowpack yet again. Colder temperatures and snowfall are forecast to return midweek.

With the warm start to the 25-26 winter season, we have less snowpack information than usual to start daily forecast operations. For zones and elevation bands with less snow than needed for avalanche hazard, we will issue a forecast with No Rating. Anticipated avalanche and weather conditions will still be updated daily. NWAC will issue an avalanche danger rating for a zone when enough snow to produce avalanches has accumulated at middle and upper elevations.

 

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