Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
Keine Stufe
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 9 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

If you are in a part of the zone seeing significant snowfall, expect a higher likelihood of triggering an avalanche large enough to bury you in wind-affected snow. Signs of wind transport, such as uneven snow surfaces, blowing snow, or shooting cracks from your equipment, are good reasons to reassess your terrain choices. There is currently not enough snow at lower elevations to warrant avalanche hazard.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    In the western and northern ends of the zone, 10-15" inches of snow are expected to fall at middle and upper elevations, accompanied by strong wind. At upper elevations, where previous snow coverage was more consistent prior to the storm, new slabs will be forming on top. At middle elevations where snow coverage was less consistent, wind slab formation will also be less consistent. However, a ride in a small avalanche could carry you into exposed early-season hazards. 

    Look for changes in how the snow feels underneath you; wind-drifted snow will feel denser.  Other snow characteristics to keep an eye out for include dune-like drifts and recent cornice formation. Wind slabs typically form just below ridgelines and in terrain features that are gully or chute-shaped. With strong wind speeds forecasted, slabs could form in "sneakier" terrain, such as in burn areas or lower down on slopes than you might expect. Long shooting cracks or audible collapses are obvious signs that you have found an unstable slab.

    (11/27/2025)

    A small skier triggered wind slab in the West North zone earlier this season.

Avalanche Discussion

Hello and welcome to the 2025-26 avalanche forecast season! We're happy you're here!

We don't have very much snowpack data, and weather station data is poorly corroborated.  We do know that consistent snow coverage tends to begin around 6000 ft. Furthermore, this zone is big and will see a lot of variability in weather from north to south and west to east over the next 24 hours. Based on the snow and weather information we have, we don't expect wind slabs to be particularly sensitive, but we do expect them to be more widespread. These tidbits should drive you to make more conservative terrain choices. Winter isn't exactly "on" quite yet, and things may even regress next week. Keep moving through the backcountry with an early-season mindset and consider submitting an observation to help NWAC forecasters reduce uncertainty.

With the warm start to the 25-26 winter season, we have less snowpack information than usual to start daily forecast operations. For zones and elevation bands with less snow than needed for avalanche hazard, we will issue a forecast with No Rating. Anticipated avalanche and weather conditions will still be updated daily. NWAC will issue an avalanche danger rating for a zone when enough snow to produce avalanches has accumulated at middle and upper elevations.

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