Observation: Public

Name:

Andy Goodwin

Observation Date:

February 12, 2023

Submitted:

February 12, 2023

Zone or Region:

West South

Activity:

Walking/Hiking

Location:

Mt St Helens Worm Flows Route

Did you observe any avalanches?

Yes

Avalanche Type:

Wet Loose

Size:

Size 1: Relatively harmless to people

Elevation:

4700

Aspect:

SE

Comments:

In the 4000's there were a couple of small loose wet avalanches that didn't involve anything but sift wet surface snow, and some roller balls that looked like they were probably from Saturday. Overall, things really looked good after such an unseasonably warm weekend. There were a lot of climbers, skiers, and glissaders all over all aspects of the ridges along the climbing route and only these two very small avalanches.

None reported

Bright sunshine in the morning gave way to high clouds by mid day and some lower clouds crossing the Mtn between 7000 and 8000 by mid afternoon. At 2:30 PM, snow at 7600-8250' was soft and wet to a depth of about 1 inch. It was really sticky and built up fast even on good crampons. Below 7500, the snow transitioned to granular spring-like snow and the melted layer got deeper. By 5500 feet it was soft and wet to 6".

The cornice along the east side of the climbing route at 5100'. Fragile with 150' of air underneath. Not that some climbers wisely established a safer route to the left of the ridge crest.

A rare and relatively unimpressive late afternoon loose wet.