Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Stick to shaded, wind-sheltered terrain and slopes under 35 degrees. Warming temperatures are maintaining instability after a major wind event drifted slabs over widespread weak layers. Watch for wet avalanches on steep, sunny slopes and coming from overhead terrain. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    In wind-loaded areas, avalanches could be dangerously large and may break widely across terrain features or be triggered from a distance. Look for recent avalanches, textured snow, and thick, pillow-like drifts that highlight slopes of concern. Keep your distance from these features and stay well clear of cornices.  

    A major westerly wind event that stressed weak layers, warm temperatures, and sunny skies is prolonging the instability. In the past week, observers have reported collapses, long cracks, and propagating test results. Weak layers (facets and surface hoar) adjacent to crusts are 1-1.5 feet deep, widespread on a variety of slopes, and have been the source of multiple avalanches. 

    (2/28/2026)

    Multiple widely breaking avalanches (D2) on Rock Mtn, South Peak, SE, 6,000-6,500ft

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

  • Loose Wet

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    This weekend is a return to warm, warm weather. If you notice that you're beginning to sink into moistened snow, or you see fresh rollerballs falling down from cliff bands or your own equipment, mark that as a sign that this problem is turning on. Although avalanches will be small, there are plenty of exposed hazards in the terrain right now that you could be carried over, especially on southerly slopes. At lower elevations, there could be enough snow for wet avalanches on east, west, and even northerly aspects. Friday brought evidence from the Cascade crest that the warming trend has resulted in natural persistent slab avalanches.

    (2/5/2026)

    Wet loose slides on a sun-exposed slope originating in steep, rocky terrain. 

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

On Thursday, February 26th, a skier was fully buried in an avalanche at Stevens Pass Resort. Despite a long burial time, the skier was successfully rescued by Stevens Pass Patrol and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The avalanche occurred on a wind-loaded northwest aspect near 5,3000ft and likely ran on a persistent weak layer over a crust, 15-20" deep.

There is 8-12 inches of snow over weak layers, including the 2/13 buried surface hoar and facets around the 2/7 crust. In some locations, these layers may be easier to identify than others. If you're at lower elevations, there could just be a crust and no weak snow (or any snow!) at all. So far, observations have indicated a slightly stronger snowpack to the west of the zone, however these data points are few and far between. Trying to thread the needle between where it is and isn't more dangerous is ill-advised. We got a taste of what wind loading did to the weak snowpack shortly after the storm earlier in the week, where wind slab avalanches failed within weak snow around Mission Ridge. Some of these avalanches were remotely triggered and propagated widely. More recently, zones bordering East Central have been seeing natural and human triggered avalanches in similar layers.

The most recent East Central observation is from an NWAC Forecaster traveling in the Teanaway on Friday. They found that the buried surface hoar was rounding and healing, but the 2/7 facets were not. They did not get propagation in any snowpit tests. They were able to trigger some longer shooting cracks in wind loaded snow, but these did not release on buried weak layers.

Persistent slabs are tricky to manage in the backcountry, even with the best information, and East Central has very little of it. If you plan to travel close to a neighboring zone, consider reading their forecast to outfit your toolbelt with more information. Ultimately, this problem is likely to stick around for a while, so settle in to finding fun skiing and riding on lower angle slopes while the snowpack heals. Please consider submitting an observation of what you're seeing while you're out.

The snowpack is still thin, particularly in the trees, at lower elevations, and on southerly slopes. Creeks, holes, and logs make routes convoluted or even impassable. Give yourself time to deal with our interminable "early season" conditions, and know that some hazards may be obscured by new snow.

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