[gb]

The NWAC warns of slabs created by strong E-SE winds earlier this week. The snow would have been transported onto cold surfaces with even the possibility of surface hoar where the bond will be poor regardless. Although the slabs are probably not extensive, in situations like this with strong winds they can be locally deep and behave very unpredictably. Surface snow may even appear to be hard packed but could still hide a slab. Because the slabs are not uniformly over terrain, by definition, the avalanche Hazard is rated Moderate. With cold temperatures slabs stabilize very slowly, essentially not at all when temperatures are in the lower teens. Read the discussion at www.nwac.us

[christensent]

As a follow-on thought, the current snowpack is a great example of why you can't simply look for green/yellow and go out without considering the specific hazards of the snowpack and your route. As mentioned it is by definition only moderate on the avalanche danger scale, but in typical english language, there are some remarkably dangerous isolated slopes right now. Conditions were really varied over even small terrain changes before the last storm cycle. I personally wouldn't enter much of any avalanche slopes without digging a pit and checking in the current Washington snowpack, whereas in certain other snowpacks I wouldn't even worry about most slopes when it's also a moderate warning. The warning level is only a very small indicator of risk. Far too often I see people saying things like "just wait until the risk is low or moderate then go hike this route". Really bad advice!

[mbravenboer]

It's been frustrating this week in picking good routes due to the advice that wind slab is everywhere. With the consistent eastern winds I would have assumed that the aspects and terrain features with wind slab would be much more limited. Has it really been so random this week?

[Schenk]

Wind and snow transporting is tricky stuff and in the convoluted terrain of the mountains it is not consistent or really predictable. Sure, the lee side of a long ridge can be expected to have slabs and cornices but wind slabs can form even on windward sides of a slope behind the lee sides of terrain features. When it has been windy in the mountains you can have consolidated wind formed slabs almost anywhere, regardless of where the wind was blowing from.

[RichP]

The NWAC is predicting dangerous conditions and has issued an avalanche watch for this week.

[DIYSteve]

[gb]

[DIYSteve]

[hbb]

[DIYSteve]

[DIYSteve]

tour = ski tour

[hikersarenumber1]

EOs are also a fairly torturous core exercise at my gym that make me gassy.

[gb]

15F at Snoqualmie Pass and preciping - ought to be good..........

[DIYSteve]

[DIYSteve]