Seattle Forrest

Snow water equivalent is about 120% of normal in most of the northern Cascades. Obviously with exceptions in some places. We have snow patches lingering near see level inland, and valley floors have deep cover. There are weak layers. An atmospheric river (aka pineapple express) is coming this week. Freezing levels will be 5k to 6k. The Cascades will get significant rain, which will weight the snowpack (lot of stress) and seep through, acting like lubricant. What this all adds up to is unusually large avalanches.

Thursday and Friday (1/23, 1/24) and possibly Saturday will be the worst of it.

Words to the wise. 🙂