Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
February 3, 2021Submitted:
February 3, 2021Observer:
WAC - Victor McNeilZone or Region:
Northern WallowasLocation:
Wing Ridge-All Northern WallowasSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
GoodConfidence in Rating:
ModerateStability Trend:
SteadyBottom Line
The bottom line is the structure of the snowpack is poor in the Northern Wallowas. It's like building your house on straw and then adding a concrete slab on top of it. We are dealing with a persistent deep slab problem, which has reared its ugly head a couple of times in the past week. There was a skier-triggered 6' deep slab in McCully basin (1/30), and another deep slab observed by a local snowmobiler near Big Sheep recently. We are not dealing with this problem in other parts of the Wallowas, Elkhorns or Blues. You may dig to the ground and not get any negative results in your snowpack tests. That doesn't matter, structure trumps all. All you have to do is find the trigger point, and boom you're dealing with a big avalanche.
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