East Slopes South

Pay attention to how fresh snow has been transported by the wind at all elevations. Steer around slopes and terrain features steeper than 35 degrees where you see evidence of wind accumulated snow. Take the time to feel and look for weak sugary snow just above the stout mid-January crust. Avalanches on this layer may be unlikely but will be large and dangerous if they occur.

Persistent slab avalanche problems exist in the neighboring West South and East Central zones. We believe they are present in the East South, although we have no direct information to confirm this. Persistent slabs are very dangerous, surprising, and difficult to predict. They can propagate widely across terrain features and can result in very large and unsurvivable avalanches. Look for sugary, weak, or very soft snow above the stout rain crust from mid-January. If you find this layer, stay off of and don't travel underneath slopes over 30 degrees.

Near and above treeline, expect winds to continue to transport recent snow into fresh slabs. Use caution on steep slopes where you see evidence of wind accumulated snow. Firm and textured snow or cracking in the surface snow are sure signs that you could trigger a wind slab on terrain over 30 degrees. Fresh wind slabs may exist in combination with the persistent weak layer mentioned above.

See the avalanche forecasts for adjacent zones to the north (East Central) and west (West South) that both show signs of buried persistent weak layers within the upper snowpack. If you see weak layers in the snow or experience collapsing please let us know by submitting an observation.

At lower elevations, snow fell on ground that was bare prior to this week and rain may fall up to 4500 ft. Expect tricky travel down in the forest with plenty of obstacles and shallowly buried objects to block your path. 

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state, and federal health officials. Avoid unnecessary risks that could impact first responders and stress medical resources.  Wear a mask when appropriate, practice social distancing, and consider recreating closer to home.