02-09-2008, 07:39 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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AASI Instructor
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Mt. Hood Oregon
Posts: 4,542
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Most Dangerous Avalanche Conditions in 20 Years.
In Oregon and Washington, the record breaking snowfall has created the most severe avalanch conditions in over 20 years. Interstate 90 was recently closed by a slide bigger than anything seen up there since 1975. Stevens Pass just had a slide covering US highay 2 in 18 feet of snow. Here on Mt. Hood, we have recieved over 6 feet in the last 4 days and tonight, it turned to freezing rain, then full on rain. On my drive home tonight, several areas of highay 35 from Mt. hood meadows had several feet of snows in one lane that had slid off the embankment.
Quote:
Worst avalanche conditions in 20 years, NWS says
07:27 PM PST on Friday, February 8, 2008
By kgw.com Staff
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Worst avalanche conditions in 20 years, NWS says | Local News | kgw.com | News for Oregon and SW Washington
Biggest avalanche threat in 20 years
Matt Zaffino eplains
<!-- END New Embedded Player -->Up to six feet of new snow over the past four days have created the worst avalanche danger in the Cascades in 20 years, according to the National Weather Service. Additional snowfall expected over the weekend was predicted to trigger widespread natural avalanches, with large destructive slides possible.
Earlier Friday, a rarely active slide east of Stevens Pass, Washington covered Highway 2 with up to 18 feet of snow.
Back country travelers were urged to exercise extreme caution due to the heightened risk.
Driving to the mountains has proven difficult and dangerous in some areas over the last few days as snow and wind created white-out conditions, authorities said.
Blowing snow and flat light made it difficult to see on roads over the passes, especially highways 26 and 35, according to KGW news crews.
Snow accumulations in spots along those highways restricted travel to almost a single lane in each direction, which made the drives to Bend and Hood River slow-going.
Tall walls of snow on the side of the highways made it difficult for snowplows to clear the roads.
On Thursday, officials at Timberline ski resort closed all their lifts because of 60 mph winds. It was the second time this year strong wind prompted lift closures at Timberline. Mt. Hood Meadows also closed some of their ski lifts but kept a few open.
Stevens Pass closed due to avalanche danger
Herald Staff
STEVENS PASS – High avalanche danger forced officials to close U.S. 2 at Stevens Pass this morning and the highway is expected to remain closed until Saturday morning.
Stevens Pass ski resort was closed today for the second day in a row and officials there plan to reopen Saturday with limited runs, according to the resort’s Web site.
Overnight, more than 15 inches of heavy, wet snow fell at the pass, causing whiteout conditions and several avalanches.
Another foot of snow is forecast to fall in the mountain passes today, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.
The high winds and warming temperatures have created extremely high avalanche danger. Backcountry travel is discouraged.
White Pass also is closed and I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass will be closed intermittently for avalanche control throughout the day, officials said.
HeraldNet: Stevens Pass closed due to avalanche danger
Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
415 PM PST WED FEB 6 2008
WAZ019-ORZ011-091700-
SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES-NORTH OREGON CASCADES-
415 PM PST FRI FEB 8 2008
...AVALANCHE WARNING, EXTREME AVALANCHE DANGER FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY..
STRONG WESTERLY FLOW COUPLED WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE HAS BEEN
PILING UP THE SNOW THROUGHOUT THE OLYMPICS, CASCADES AND MT HOOD
OVER THE PAST FOUR DAYS ALONG WITH VERY STRONG WINDS. GENERALLY
3 TO 6 FEET HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER THE PAST FOUR DAYS, AND
CONTINUES TO SNOW HARD FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
WARMING AND CONTINUED PRECIPITATION FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING SHOULD TIP THE BALANCE ON MANY SLOPES CAUSING
WIDESPREAD NATURAL AVALANCHES WITH LARGE DESTRUCTIVE SLIDES
POSSIBLE. JUST RECENTLY A NATURAL SIDE COVERED THE ALPENTAL ROAD
AND BURIED SOME CARS IN THE ALPENTAL SKI LOT AS EVACUATION OF
THE SKI AREA WAS UNDERGOING. EARLIER FRIDAY A RARELY ACTIVE
SLIDE PATH EAST OF STEVENS PASS COVERED HIGHWAY 2 WITH UP TO 18
FEET OF SNOW! THIS MAY BE THE GREATEST AVALANCHE RISK THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST HAS SEEN IN TWENTY YEARS OR MORE!
SOME LARGE AND INFREQUENT AVALANCHE PATHS MAY RELEASE OVER THE
NEXT 24 HOURS AND AT PRESENT WE FEEL BACK COUNTRY TRAVELERS
SHOULD ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND AVOID AVALANCHE TERRAIN.
PLEASE SEE WWW.NWAC.US FOR DETAILS.
$$
BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ELEVATION AND
GEOGRAPHIC DISTINCTIONS ARE APPROXIMATE AND THAT A TRANSITION
ZONE BETWEEN DANGERS EXISTS. REMEMBER THERE ARE AVALANCHE SAFE
AREAS IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING ALL LEVELS OF AVALANCHE DANGER.
CONTACT LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN YOUR AREA OF INTEREST FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION.
NWAC WEATHER DATA AND FORECASTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY CALLING
206-526-6677 FOR WASHINGTON, 503-808-2400 FOR THE MT HOOD AREA,
OR BY VISITING OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.NWAC.US.
KRAMER/NORTHWEST WEATHER AND AVALANCHE CENTER
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Most Dangerous Avalanche Conditions in 20 Years.
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