Conditions on Tuesday, Feb. 21, were ideal for avalanches in the North Cascades, and weather officials say it is not the day to venture into the backcountry.
The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center’s forecast shows extreme avalanche danger above 4,000 feet and high danger below that elevation. “Extreme” is the highest avalanche rating; it means “natural and human triggered avalanches are certain,” according to the Mt. Baker Ski Area website.
Only Chair 7 was operating at the ski area Tuesday because of the rainy weather. The area does its own avalanche control, but areas outside the boundaries are vulnerable to avalanche.
The danger increase is being caused by rising freezing levels and heavy rain on top of two to three feet of snow that accumulated in the North Cascades over the weekend.
“After the recent heavy snowfall these are about the best ingredients one can ask for avalanches,” the center’s website said.
Four people died in separate avalanches at Stevens Pass and Alpental over the weekend, when avalanche conditions weren’t as severe. The avalanche warning in effect Tuesday says all avalanche terrain should be avoided.
The relatively warm, wet storm moving through Western Washington on Tuesday also brings the risk of flooding, but the Nooksack River for now is out of the storm’s bull’s-eye, National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Haner said.
The heaviest rain is expected to fall over King and Snohomish counties, with rivers as far north as the Skagit on heightened flood watch.
A flood watch for all of Western Washington is in effect until Thursday afternoon.
Haner advised those along the Nooksack to remain vigilant.
“The official forecasts right now do not call for the Nooksack River to reach flood stage, but once again if the bull’s-eye were to shift even one or two counties north, then the Nooksack River could be in danger of flooding,” Haner said.
Tuesday’s rain falls from a classic flood-producing storm for this area, but it has about half the moisture of the stronger “atmospheric rivers” that have caused severe flooding in the western part of the state. Also, the large snowpack will absorb some of the rain, reducing the impact of any flooding, Haner said.
