Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
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Kernpunkte

The storm may have ended, but the wet, manky snow will stay with us. You might trigger an avalanche on any steep open slope, but don’t overlook the random block of snow shedding from rocky terrain. This isn’t the day to stop and hang out below cliffs or complex slopes.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    This version of wet snow avalanches is very tricky to predict and could take many forms. All the flavors of wet snow are on the table. On Tuesday morning, the West North will just be coming out of a major rain event. So, while Considerable Danger and Wet Loose avalanches seem mundane, things could be heads up. 

    Wet sloppy snow can be hard to get moving, but once it does, it probably won’t stop until the bottom of the pitch. So, triggering a wet loose avalanche may need a steeper slope, but if it gets going, it could result in a large, nasty slide. 

    Even though triggering one of these avalanches might be hard, we won’t be surprised if a few slides release on their own. This could be due to snow shedding from rocks, a small loose avalanche, or the water finally pushing the snowpack past its breaking point. While predicting exactly where or when a natural avalanche will occur may be impossible, one things certain: you don’t want to be underneath if it happens. Keep tabs on what’s above you and move quickly past any overhead hazard. 

    Any of these wet slides could gouge into old snow and travel far down slopes. These will likely be big wet ugly avalanches that aren’t something to mess with.

    Debris piles from recent wet avalanches. A few more similar slides could still occur. 

  • Glide Cracks

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    As water reaches the ground, the entire season's snowpack may slide off smooth rock or heather slopes. Natural glide avalanches have already been reported from other zones that received far less water during this rain event. While the problem is different, the advice is the same: don’t linger under steep rocky slopes. The more time you spend playing in the road, the more likely you are to get hit by a car. The more time you spend in the runout… well, you get the idea.

    (1/10/2026)

    Example of a recent glide avalanche where the entire snowpack slide off a steep rock slab. 

    Photo: Northwest Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Forecasting wet snow avalanches often brings more questions than answers. The old adage, “when things warm up, snow falls down,’ keeps ringing in our heads. Will the mountains come apart on Tuesday? Probably not (they likely already did), but they probably won’t be stable either. Don’t trust wet snow. It’s hard to predict and assess. 

The West North zone received 4-5 inches of water since Jan 10, most of that as rain, to well above the tops of all but the highest peaks. This likely significantly changed the snowpack. However, due to the wet stormy weather, we don’t know much about what happened and where. Maybe some sunshine will bring insights into the conditions of the snowpack and mountains. 

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