Avalanche danger
will rise
New snow poses danger
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
There have been four avalanche fatalities in North
America so far this fall and winter. Three occurred in Wyoming and one in
Alaska.
A second avalanche fatality occurred at Teton Pass near
Jackson, Wyo., last weekend, following a death the previous week.
Doug Abromeit, director of the U.S. Forest Service
National Avalanche Center, based in Ketchum, said the avalanche conditions
on Teton Pass are very similar to what will exist in the Wood River Valley
and Stanley Basin as soon as it snows again.
"The entire West has similar conditions right
now," he said. "What we have out there now is basically this
homogenous snowpack. It’s nothing but loose, sugary snow."
Abromeit said the local conditions aren’t a hazard as
they exist, but as soon as more snow falls, the added weight will produce
avalanches.
"As soon as we get some new snow on top of this
loose, sugary snow, it’s basically like putting a brick on top of loose
potato chips," he said.
The sugary snow that abounds is the result of a thin
snowpack exposed to cold air on one side and the warmer ground on the
other. The resulting temperature gradient helps transform snow flakes into
rounder, cup-shaped ice crystals, which don’t easily bond with one
another.
"If there isn’t much snow, and it’s cold, this
is what we get," he said.
With new snowfall, forecast to occur this week, north
faces and wind-loaded slopes will pose the most acute danger, Abromeit
said, though conditions will likely be dangerous everywhere except where
the older snowpack has melted off.
He advised people venturing out in the coming weeks to
make decisions based on data collected during the outing.
"Be constantly gathering data and analyzing the
stability of the snow. When people go out there, they shouldn’t leave
the door thinking they know what the stability of the snow is."
Furthermore, Abromeit said he is concerned that the lack
of significant early-season snow will prompt locals to head to the hills
in droves when it finally does snow again.
"A lot of people are jonesing to get out there, but
they need to temper that with good judgment and good sense."
Before heading to the hills, check the Forest Service
avalanche report at (http://www.avalanche.org/~ciac/bulletin.txt) or by
calling 622-8027.
"If you don’t have avalanche skills, stay on very
low-angle slopes, 25 degrees or less. If you do have avalanche skills, don’t
take anything for granted. Err on the conservative side."
