East Slopes Central

Limit your exposure to overhanging masses of snow or to cliffs where snow could fall from. Wet loose avalanches will be isolated and small. Move off steep terrain when you're sinking deeply into the snow surface if you want to avoid avalanches entirely. 

Thursday night will be calm and warm, with mostly clear skies. This means surface crusts should reform, but might not be as supportable as we'd like. Friday will be one more day of warm, sunnier weather before clouds start to move in, marking the beginning of more seasonal (even winter-like next week!) weather. 

With the lack of a strong overnight refreeze, conditions could be more primed for wet loose avalanches on Friday while the sun is out. We expect any avalanches to be small and isolated. Monitor surface conditions as you move around. If you begin sinking deeply past your boot tops, consider it time to move to lower angle terrain. Another way to reduce your risk is to move quickly as you travel beneath overhead hazards, such as cornices or rock slabs, that could still shed snow. 

An NWAC forecaster in the Salmon La Sac and Teanaway area reported very low snow cover, challenging access, and minimal recent wet avalanche activity. The lack of activity is due to the robust 03/25 crust within the snowpack. This crust is very thick and wasn't buried by much snow during the last storm cycle. That recent snow is now either merged with the crust or melted away in most places. 

It likely comes as no surprise that coverage is a major issue, particularly at lower elevations and on southerly slopes. You might find yourself walking on bare ground in search of snow at higher elevations. It feels less like April and more like June out there, but we could be in for significant snowfall next week. Although this is unlikely to totally turn around this fast track towards summer we're on, it does mean that avalanche conditions could be completely different from what they are right now. Be sure to tune back into the forecast if you plan to score one more pow day this season.

Access to the mountains remains a challenge due to patchy snow, washed out roads, and downed trees. The WA Cascades are still recovering from the epic December 2025 atmospheric river events. Plan extra time into your day accordingly.