Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

Up to gale force wind will transport snow onto a wider swath of terrain and test the strength of weak snow buried below. Meanwhile, soft surface snow might begin to weaken from strong sun and warming temperatures. Your best course of action is to give steep, open slopes some breathing room and to find lower-angle, sheltered terrain to explore instead.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Large natural and remotely triggered avalanches failing on buried surface hoar have occurred this week just over the border at Crystal Mountain and Mission Ridge. Other backcountry travelers near Crystal and the Salmon La Sac also reported a handful of collapses and long shooting cracks in two different buried weak layers.

    Wind has been, and will continue to be, the driver of this problem. Moderate-strong wind blew through the zone on Wednesday, and speeds are forecasted to increase even more on Thursday. That means you will encounter more terrain that is wind-affected and overloading these weak layers buried within. A change to denser or harder feeling snow underneath your equipment is a good indication that it has been influenced by the wind.

    All steep open terrain is suspect with poor snowpack structure. Long shooting cracks, audible collapses, or natural avalanches are key indicators of dangerous avalanche conditions. Avalanches could be triggered from below or next to steep slopes. Small, steep test slopes or convex features can help gauge the reactivity of the upper snowpack. You can dig small hand pits and pull on blocks of snow to see how easily overlaying slabs break free from weak snow underneath. But given snowpack variability, be cautious about extrapolating your results too broadly.  Instead, dial it back by seeking out low-angle terrain protected from the wind...if you can...

    (2/22/2026)

    A small, remotely triggered avalanche in the Buillon Basin area, failing 14-16" deep on buried surface hoar.

    Photo: Sam Clairmont

  • Loose Wet

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    This problem may have already run its course, and the wind will largely ward off any cycle yet to occur. But we can't completely rule out this problem with strong sun and warming temperatures on Thursday. If you begin to notice that you're sinking into moistened snow, or you see fresh rollerballs falling down from cliff bands or your own equipment, mark that as a sign that this problem is turning on. Although avalanches will be small, there are plenty of exposed hazards in the terrain right now that you could be carried over, especially on southerly slopes. Lower elevation terrain, by and large, still does not have enough snow for hazard to be elevated.

    (2/5/2026)

    Wet loose slides on a sun-exposed slope originating in steep, rocky terrain. 

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Wind continues to be the name of the game in the East South. Speeds picked up on Wednesday and will only continue to do so through the rest of the week. This is due to a strong jet moving wind perpendicular to the WA Cascades, which is creating a sturdy downslope effect along the east slopes.

Although none of the recent avalanche activity reported to us comes from the East South zone, we know similar snowpack structure exists. This includes surface hoar buried on 2/13, and weak faceted snow buried on 2/7. Weather stations in the zone have picked up 1.2 inches of snow water equivalent this week, which could equate to around 1 foot of new snow. Where the wind has transported snow, the depth of overlaying slabs could be double that and growing bigger with continued wind transport on Thursday. Not having any on the ground info for East South creates more uncertainty around an already tricky problem to forecast for, but this problem is likely to stick around for a while, so settle in to finding fun riding on lower angle slopes. If you plan to travel close to the Cascade Crest, consider checking out the West South forecast.

Southerly flow helped precipitation accumulate in areas further east, bringing accessibility to struggling sno parks back online. That said, the recent snow didn't magically fix our travel woes altogether. The snowpack is still painfully thin, particularly in the trees, at lower elevations, and on southerly slopes. Creeks, holes, and logs make routes meandering or even impassable. Give yourself time to deal with our interminable "early season" conditions, and know that some hazards may be obscured by new snow.

It takes a village to accurately forecast avalanches and create better forecast products for the community. Please let us know what you're seeing out there.

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