Eastside Region

Avalanches are unlikely. Assess extreme terrain for small wind drifts and loose snow sluffs. Prepare for challenging travel over variable surfaces.

While triggering a small avalanche is unlikely, getting knocked off your feet in extreme terrain can have big consequences. 

If you’re going to venture onto steep slopes, assess for the following:

• Small wind slabs on a variety of aspects. Over the past week, extreme winds have taken snow from exposed areas and deposited small hard drifts downwind of sheltered features. Cold temperatures have allowed faceting above and below these stiff dunes. These old slabs are unlikely to cause trouble. However, you can reduce the risk of unpleasant surprises by assessing old wind slabs for cracking before jumping into steep chutes.
• Small loose dry avalanches where sugary surface snow sits atop old hard crusts on shady slopes.
• Small loose wet avalanches if temperatures climb high enough to melt faceted snow on solar aspects near treeline in the afternoon.

Surfaces are variable, and some are rock-hard. Mountaineering equipment may reduce your risk of a slip and fall on icy slopes.