http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/12/
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Seattle Washington
1315 PM PST Fri Jan 27 2012
This forecast applies to back country avalanche terrain below 7000 feet and does not apply to developed ski areas or highways.
Forecast
Friday: Considerable avalanche danger above 6000 feet on lee slopes and moderate elsewhere and gradually decreasing through the afternoon and night.
Saturday: Considerable avalanche danger above 6000 feet on lee slopes and moderate elsewhere and gradually decreasing through the afternoon and night.
Sunday outlook: Increasing high avalanche danger above 5000 feet and considerable below. Danger slowly decreasing late Sunday and Sunday night.
Snowpack Analysis
Recent weather: A strong frontal passage late Tuesday and Tuesday night caused heavy precipitation at relatively warm temperatures producing an extensive avalanche cycle as well as leaving a rain crust to about 5000 feet in the north and above 6000 feet in the south. This weather has helped to shift avalanche concerns to more near surface snow layers that have accumulated since Wednesday along with a cooling trend.
The frontal passage late Wednesday through early Thursday deposited generally 6 to 14 inches of snow over crust layers or older moist snow at higher elevations in the north. The latest storm was accompanied by very strong crest level westerly winds that built unstable wind slabs as of Thursday morning.
Further cooling occurred Thursday with showers mostly ending Thursday morning with only about an inch or two of additional low density snow deposited as of Friday morning.
The strong cooling trend through Friday morning, about 4 to 6 inches of snowpack settlement and diminished winds should have allowed for a significant decrease in the recent avalanche danger.
That said, triggered slides remain likely at higher elevations on steeper exposed lee slopes. While most avalanches should remain in the upper 6 to 12 inches of surface snow, in areas void of recent crust layers, such as the northeast WA Cascades, some slides could possibly involve older storm snow layers, now very substantial given the recent heavy snowfalls over the past 10 days.
Detailed Forecasts
Friday
Mostly sunny with some high clouds in the north and continued cool with light crest level winds. This weather should allow for further slow consolidation and stabilization of recent wind slabs or soft slabs as well as further settling the deep overall recent snow deposits. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist in higher terrain, especially slopes that have received recent wind transported snow, mainly northeast to southeast facing. Back country travelers should continue to assess local snowpack conditions and choose routes cautiously, especially in areas void of recent strong underlying crust layers where deeper snow layers may be involved.
Saturday
Filtered sun or mid to high level clouds are expected Saturday with rising freezing levels. The warming may help to further settle any remaining weak layers. However, the warming may also help to make loose surface snow more cohesive allowing for more slab like character in the surface snow possibly enabling fracture propagation to occur. These two factors would be working against each other as to the trend of the danger so it should be imperative to carefully assess snowpack conditions in your local area.
Increasing winds and light to moderate rain or snow with a warming trend is expected late Saturday night. This should cause a significant increase in the avalanche danger overnight. By early Sunday dense wind slabs or rain at mid and lower elevations should be loading weaker previously deposited snow layers making natural avalanches increasingly likely.
Sunday Outlook
Further warming and moderate rain or snow and very strong winds Sunday should continue to build unstable dense wind slab layers at higher elevations while rain further wets and weakens progressively deeper layers in the snowpack. Travel in avalanche terrain at higher elevations is not recommended Sunday and dangerous avalanche conditions should also develop at all elevations.
http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/12/
PLEASE be safe out there my friends... Keep in mind that in many places around here, the snow depth has basically DOUBLED in the last 2 weeks and conditions are RADICALLY different because of it! Let's all try our best not to get ourselves hurt or killed just to have some fun. The last thing we need as a group is more bad press, and if that doesn't make you slow down, think of your families at home that would have to go on without you!!!
PLEASE have a safe and fun weekend guys!
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Seattle Washington
1315 PM PST Fri Jan 27 2012
This forecast applies to back country avalanche terrain below 7000 feet and does not apply to developed ski areas or highways.
Forecast
Friday: Considerable avalanche danger above 6000 feet on lee slopes and moderate elsewhere and gradually decreasing through the afternoon and night.
Saturday: Considerable avalanche danger above 6000 feet on lee slopes and moderate elsewhere and gradually decreasing through the afternoon and night.
Sunday outlook: Increasing high avalanche danger above 5000 feet and considerable below. Danger slowly decreasing late Sunday and Sunday night.
Snowpack Analysis
Recent weather: A strong frontal passage late Tuesday and Tuesday night caused heavy precipitation at relatively warm temperatures producing an extensive avalanche cycle as well as leaving a rain crust to about 5000 feet in the north and above 6000 feet in the south. This weather has helped to shift avalanche concerns to more near surface snow layers that have accumulated since Wednesday along with a cooling trend.
The frontal passage late Wednesday through early Thursday deposited generally 6 to 14 inches of snow over crust layers or older moist snow at higher elevations in the north. The latest storm was accompanied by very strong crest level westerly winds that built unstable wind slabs as of Thursday morning.
Further cooling occurred Thursday with showers mostly ending Thursday morning with only about an inch or two of additional low density snow deposited as of Friday morning.
The strong cooling trend through Friday morning, about 4 to 6 inches of snowpack settlement and diminished winds should have allowed for a significant decrease in the recent avalanche danger.
That said, triggered slides remain likely at higher elevations on steeper exposed lee slopes. While most avalanches should remain in the upper 6 to 12 inches of surface snow, in areas void of recent crust layers, such as the northeast WA Cascades, some slides could possibly involve older storm snow layers, now very substantial given the recent heavy snowfalls over the past 10 days.
Detailed Forecasts
Friday
Mostly sunny with some high clouds in the north and continued cool with light crest level winds. This weather should allow for further slow consolidation and stabilization of recent wind slabs or soft slabs as well as further settling the deep overall recent snow deposits. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist in higher terrain, especially slopes that have received recent wind transported snow, mainly northeast to southeast facing. Back country travelers should continue to assess local snowpack conditions and choose routes cautiously, especially in areas void of recent strong underlying crust layers where deeper snow layers may be involved.
Saturday
Filtered sun or mid to high level clouds are expected Saturday with rising freezing levels. The warming may help to further settle any remaining weak layers. However, the warming may also help to make loose surface snow more cohesive allowing for more slab like character in the surface snow possibly enabling fracture propagation to occur. These two factors would be working against each other as to the trend of the danger so it should be imperative to carefully assess snowpack conditions in your local area.
Increasing winds and light to moderate rain or snow with a warming trend is expected late Saturday night. This should cause a significant increase in the avalanche danger overnight. By early Sunday dense wind slabs or rain at mid and lower elevations should be loading weaker previously deposited snow layers making natural avalanches increasingly likely.
Sunday Outlook
Further warming and moderate rain or snow and very strong winds Sunday should continue to build unstable dense wind slab layers at higher elevations while rain further wets and weakens progressively deeper layers in the snowpack. Travel in avalanche terrain at higher elevations is not recommended Sunday and dangerous avalanche conditions should also develop at all elevations.
http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/12/
PLEASE be safe out there my friends... Keep in mind that in many places around here, the snow depth has basically DOUBLED in the last 2 weeks and conditions are RADICALLY different because of it! Let's all try our best not to get ourselves hurt or killed just to have some fun. The last thing we need as a group is more bad press, and if that doesn't make you slow down, think of your families at home that would have to go on without you!!!
PLEASE have a safe and fun weekend guys!
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