Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Thu
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 6 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

More low-density snow could quickly drift into fresh wind slabs. Watch for wind texture, fresh cornices, and sharp wind lips as clues to wind loading, and avoid steep wind-loaded terrain. The southern end of the zone around Mount Saint Helens will see the greatest snowfall and the potential for larger avalanches.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    This problem is confined to areas where the wind speeds were strong enough and snowfall sufficient to build slabs. Across most of the West South, slabs should remain small due to decreasing winds and limited new snow. Middle and upper elevations on the southern volcanoes have seen enough wind and new snow to build unstable wind slabs, with your chances of triggering one increasing as you gain elevation. Even a small avalanche can take you off your feet and push you into trees, rocks, or a creek.

    Use the surface snow to identify wind loading. Cornices draped over a slope signal loading below, and scoured snow on one side of a ridge usually means deposition on the other. If you’re traveling through unusually deep, dense snow, consider shifting to wind-sheltered terrain or lower-angle slopes.

    (2/10/2026)

    A small intentionally triggered wind slab. NE, 6600ft. HS-ASu-R1/D1-I

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Tuesday was a cold, mostly cloudy day across the West South zone with occasional light snow. Most trailheads picked up 1–2 inches of snow, with occasional flurries through the day. Ridge-top winds eased from moderate to light by mid-morning. Crystal Mountain saw a bit of late-day sunshine, while most other areas remained under cloud cover.

Cold temperatures and low-density snowfall will continue on Wednesday, but with lighter winds than on Tuesday. There’s some uncertainty in the exact timing and snow totals, though precipitation is expected to focus near Mount Saint Helens. This could lead to larger, unstable wind slabs in that area, and possibly storm snow stepping down into older weak layers of surface hoar and sugary facets.

On average, 6–12 inches of low-density snow sits at the surface. Beneath it lies preserved surface hoar (the 2/13 interface), with another weak layer of surface hoar and facets (the 2/7 interface) about 5–6 inches deeper. As of Tuesday afternoon, no significant avalanche activity has been reported on either layer, but their existence deserves attention. As we continue to add more snow on top, it is unclear whether these layers will produce avalanches or slowly settle into a non-issue.

If you're headed out onto the snow on Wednesday, please consider submitting a quick observation. We'd love to hear from you!

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