Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Thu
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist last year abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

A complex storm just dumped about 4 inches of water, and today isn’t the day to test your prowess on steep slopes. New snow may be several feet deep as you climb towards upper elevations, so avoid steep slopes as it’s likely that you could trigger an avalanche in new layers. Wet new snow could slide, while old glide and cornice avalanche concerns also exist - yet another reason to avoid steep slopes, but also terrain beneath any suspect saggy cornices, cracks, or sliding new snow layers. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    Increasing temperatures and sun breaks will result in wet loose avalanches running in new snow layers on the surface. These avalanches may reach as high as the upper elevation band, where several feet of new snow exists.

    If the new snow gets moist and sticky, or if you see rollerballs or small slides coming down, then avoid being on similar steep slopes, and consider steering around lower angle terrain beneath those slopes.

    If wet avalanches are influenced by the sun, shift to shadier aspects. Small wet avalanches may also trigger deeper slab avalanches as they progress down a slope. 

    Example photo: Small and large wet loose avalanches may result on Wednesday. There's a small chance they may even gouge into the old snow layer. They'll first initiate near trees and rock patches. Photo: Matt Crisler

  • Storm Slabs

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

    This isn't a day to test steep slopes - just stick to lower angle terrain to avoid triggering a large slab avalanche that could kill you. The bulk of the precipitation and avalanche activity occurred Monday and Tuesday, but it’ll take more time for the new snow layers to adjust. A lot of precipitation fell as rain at lower and mid elevations, but 2-4ft of snow could exist at higher elevations. 

    You’re most likely to trigger a slab in wind-loaded terrain, but any steep slope with more than 6-10 inches of new snow is suspect. Failures may occur in mid-storm layer or closer to the bottom of the storm snow, but uncertainty exists as to where or how a failure may happen. It’s possible, given the warm temperatures, that the snow could settle out quickly, but to play it safe, steer around steep slopes on Wednesday and stick to lower-angle terrain.

    Example photo: Large human triggered avalanches like this one on Heliotrope Ridge could occur on Wednesday.  Photo: Matt M

  • Glide Cracks

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    2–2.5

    Gaping glide cracks were visible in many locations prior to the storm that arrived Sunday evening. Temperatures haven’t particularly cooled off much, and at least a couple additional inches of rain fell at lower and mid elevations before a transition to snow began. 

    There’s a good chance most glide cracks have new snow covering over them, but that doesn’t mean it’s less likely for one of those lurking beasts to release right now. Stay on high alert while in the vicinity of glide cracks. Consider avoiding slopes beneath them. The same goes for large, saggy cornices.

    Even if likelihood is low that you’ll be under one of these menaces when they decide to fail, if they do go while you’re beneath them then there’s a good chance failure will be catastrophic, so it’s best to minimize that exposure and steer around them.

    (4/6/2025)

    Recently observed large glide cracks and avalanches just south of the West North border by Snow King. 

Avalanche Discussion

As the season winds down, the uncertainty sure is ramping up for us. We were rapidly transitioning to a spring snowpack, but then this storm threw a wrench in that process. New snow problems mixed with underlying deeper wet snow problems is spooky. The unusual mix also makes it difficult to forecast exactly what will be happening Wednesday.

Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security if and when the sun pokes out. The year is winding down- or up, depending on your preferences, and you don’t want to end it on a negative note. Just keep your terrain simple and wait until we progress into more of a predictable spring snowpack before you approach bigger and more complex terrain. 

If you get out, please share with us what you saw by submitting an observation HERE on the website or on the Avy app. 

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