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Dear Friend of NWAC,
Winter is slowly giving way to spring in the Cascades
and Olympics, NWAC has wrapped up
regular forecasting, and the Friends of NWAC is winding down another hectic
season. We want to thank you all for
your support of the Friends and NWAC this winter.
We are happy to report that NWAC was able to provide
forecasts through the end of April and is still publishing special warnings as
needed. While funding for next season is
still somewhat tenuous, we are confident that the cooperating government agencies
and the ski areas are going to continue to fund the Center at their current
levels, and, thanks to your support, the Friends is well positioned to
contribute and fill any gap that remains while we continue to work on a more
permanent solution moving forward. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of a strong community of support in ensuring that NWAC remains viable and avalanche accidents are minimized.
Thanks!
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Spring Weather Update
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 By NWAC Director Mark Moore
After a relatively stormy late
April and early May increased the snowpack in the Cascades and Olympics to near
maximum levels, the weak La Niņa
winter is finally showing some signs of progressing toward a more spring like
spring. Weather models are showing a
generally warmer and drier pattern emerging for mid-late May, and longer term
figures show a significant drying and warming trend likely developing in June
and July for much of the western US.
So does this mean that good corn
snow conditions are imminent? Well, generally
warmer days followed by clear and cooler nights should hasten the arrival of
the corn herds. However, with the amount of recent new snowfall received in
many mountain locations during the past few weeks, this progression toward
more stable and corn-like conditions may involve a transition period of increased
avalanche danger as the snow metamorphoses from wet fine grained snow to more
mature and well-drained coarse-grained layers. This transition needs to move
through the entire snowpack structure in order to have a well-settled and mostly
stable snowpack.
Hence, back
country travelers venturing into higher elevation terrain over the next few
weeks would be well advised to keep their eyes open, their probes and shovels
handy (for checking layering and the strength of the snowpack in general), and
their beacons on and well practiced.
Since we
had a pretty pronounced facet layer develop this past winter not only near the
ground but also near the early January mega-crust, you should also be aware of
larger and perhaps full-depth avalanches during times of warming. Such large
slides are a continuing though slowly decreasing threat as each subsequent warming
or rain event gives the snowpack a chance to settle and strengthen. Although
the frequency of such large slab avalanches should slowly decrease, just one
path releasing large during a warming or rainy period can spell disaster if you
are in the wrong place below that slide path. The best advice: stay aware,
especially during times of major spring weather changes.
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Inaugural Snowball a Success
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 A month has passed since
the inaugural Snowball Dinner and Auction, and the Friends of NWAC and all of
our volunteers are coming up for air. We
are happy to report that the event was a tremendous success. A sellout crowd of 230 guests were rewarded
with a delicious dinner, an entertaining show by auctioneer David Silverman,
and a great opportunity to catch up with snow-loving friends and share stories. Quite a few left with a bit less money than they came with, as the event raised close to $30,000 in support of NWAC and
avalanche safety in the Northwest. The
Friends of NWAC thanks all of those who attended the event, and especially the
many companies and individuals who donated to the auction or sponsored
tables. We are all looking forward to
making this an annual event, so stay tuned for the announcement next fall.
For a complete list of supporters and some photos of the event, click here.
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2008-9 Winter in Review
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 On again off again. Perhaps that is the best way to describe the winter of 2008-09. It was an interesting winter in the Northwest for sure, and NWAC forecaster Kenny Kramer has summed it up creatively here. Fortunately, the Northwest suffered very few avalanche fatalities this year...only two. However, the rest of North America was not as lucky, as a total of 54 people died in avalanches this winter. For a geographic summary of accidents in the US, click here. For a summary by activity, check this out.
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Here's to Good Friends
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Neither NWAC nor the Friends could operate without the support of the many companies and individuals that support our cause. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who donated gear and services for Snowball, contributed as a member, or attended any of our fundraisers. Enjoy those last spring tours, and we look forward to seeing you all when the snow starts to fly again next fall. In the mean time, be safe and have a great summer.
The Friends of NWAC
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