West Slopes North

Danger remains Low before we get the usual reminder that winter isn't over, beginning on Tuesday, but it doesn't mean there's no hazard. In extreme terrain, odd spring avalanches like glides or falling cornices could occur unexpectedly. Always scan for overhead hazards as you travel, and if any exist above you, skirt around the area or travel quickly beneath them. 

There could be a few scattered showers, but we expect a fair amount of cloud breaks Saturday night and Sunday, which could result in an overnight freeze for Sunday morning. Clouds will increase throughout the day, and small amounts of precipitation will fall on Monday before winter returns on Tuesday. Most importantly: Low danger doesn’t mean no danger—keep these in mind:

• Isolated hazards like icefall, rockfall, and glide avalanches remain, especially in steep alpine terrain.
• Cornices will continue to sag with above-freezing temperatures.
• Small route choices—like avoiding travel under cornices or glide cracks—go a long way.
• You may still trigger small loose wet avalanches on very steep slopes; even small slides can push you into terrain traps, increasing consequences.

Refreezes on Friday were good, and snow remained supportable on many slopes on Saturday, aside from punchy snow down lower as the day progressed. During your outing on Sunday, pay attention to how supportable the snow is. If you’re easily punching through any crusts to your knees or deeper, avoid steep terrain, since wet avalanches become more likely. 

Observers on the flanks of Mt. Baker on Friday (observation) found unpleasant wind-textured snow at upper elevations and moistening on east-facing slopes of the Boulder Glacier to above our forecast elevations. They also observed two large, recent slab avalanches near Bastile Peak on northeast aspects above 7,000 ft. Timing and triggers are unclear—these could be a few days old and may have involved wet or dry snow, or initiated from cornice fall or wet loose releases from above. It’s a good reminder that alpine conditions can be complex and hard to fully assess at times. 

Most avalanche activity likely occurred last weekend during the initial warmup. While avalanche danger is Low in most terrain, very steep and aggressive alpine areas still require extra caution. From midweek, another group  in the Cascade Pass area reported an abundance of glide cracks, but no new large glide avalanches were reported. Activity was limited to small wet loose shedding from cliffs during the warmest part of the day. Strong overnight refreezes helped keep warming in check.

Coverage at mid and lower elevations is a large challenge. Snow is melting out quickly, with patchy snow, open creeks, and increasing obstacles. Isolated alpine hazards remain a concern up high, including glide cracks, small cornices, and the potential for minor snow shedding from steep terrain.