Avalanche News - Nov 07, 2023
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Snoqualmie Pass snowshed served as shelter and landmark
For more than 60 years, drivers heading to Seattle passed through a concrete building as they drove along Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie Pass. Originally built to shelter drivers from avalanches in the pass, the Keechelus Lake Snowshed Bridge also served as a marker on the trip across the Cascades until it was removed as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s improvement project on Interstate 90. The Airplane Curve snowshed, which was a quarter-mile long, was removed in 1980, but the Keechelus Lake Snowshed continued to faithfully serve its purpose. In 1995, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, as the sole remaining snowshed in the state’s highway system and its innovative construction methods. The snowshed was removed in a one-day operation on April 14, 2014.
Source (more) - Yakima Herald
Idaho Highway 21 is being prepared for winter by ITD avalanche team
Closures on the 11-mile stretch of State Highway from Grandjean to Banner Summit in Boise County during the winter are about as common as snow on the mountains. But a team from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has been working year after year to keep that stretch of the highway, often called "Avalanche Alley," open longer. Every winter, ITD's avalanche team monitors snowpack conditions to decide when to close that section of the highway when necessary for safety. The 11-mile stretch of highway is dotted with about 70 avalanche paths, which have posed problems for drivers during the winter.
Source (more) - KTVB
Météo-France updates avalanche bulletin format
Information about the trend for the following day has been improved. Previously it was just an arrow indicating the direction of risk. Now there is a risk estimate with some text giving details. New snow now features a range rather than a precise value as the quantity of new snow can vary over the area covered by the bulletin. In the future Météo-France plans to cover dangerous conditions all year round such as high altitude summer avalanche risk. Guides have also been contracted to provide additional observations outside of ski areas and off-season as happens in neighbouring Switzerland.
Source (more) - PisteHors.com
