Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

Your chances of triggering an avalanche will increase as you climb into deeper snow and stronger winds. Look for fresh cornice growth, wind lips, and blowing snow to identify potentially wind-loaded slopes. If in doubt, lean on wind-sheltered or lower-angle terrain to provide safer options. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Continued snowfall and wind will maintain the wind slab hazard on Tuesday. Monday brought a healthy dose of fresh snow and strong winds to the West South, likely forming unstable wind drifts and slabs across ridgelines, below cliff bands, and even lower down on leeward-facing slopes and between trees. More snow and wind will only increase the already existing problem on Tuesday. The newly formed, firm crust beneath the new snow may also provide an efficient sliding surface for any wind slabs on top.

    Use visual clues to steer you away from suspect slopes. Wind-loaded slopes often have a lens-shaped appearance at the surface, but actively blowing snow is a dead giveaway in determining where the snow is accumulating. If you find yourself walking through unusually deep, dense snow, it may be an area of wind-loaded snow.

    As you ascend in elevation, expect wind slabs to grow in size and in frequency across slopes. Wind-sheltered, lower-angle terrain will offer a safer option.

    (1/8/2026)

    Identifying wind transport off of a ridgeline is an easy way to tell where wind slabs may be forming.  This is a photo from earlier in the season near Crystal Mountain.

    Photo: Shane Robinson

Avalanche Discussion

Winter has made a triumphant return to the Cascades. As of 5 pm Monday, new snow totals hover around 6-7 inches, with potentially more at upper elevations on the volcanoes. With the snow came the wind, and there was no shortage of it on Monday. Many weather stations recorded wind gusts in the 30s to 40s MPH, and White Pass saw gusts into the 50s. Reports from the Crystal Mountain backcountry described a firm crust beneath the new snow (the 3/8 crust), and active wind scouring and loading near ridgelines. 

Before the cool-down and snowy weather, the snowpack had not refrozen for multiple days. Water had penetrated deep into the snowpack, as far down as the 2/13 and 2/7 weak layers, and softened all of the snow above. With cold temperatures and a newly supportable crust, there is less concern of triggering a deeper avalanche, but it's not completely out of the question. It could take a bit more cold weather to fully solidify and stabilize those weakened layers deeper down. For now, there remains a very low chance of triggering a deeper avalanche below the new snow.

More snow is expected overnight into Tuesday, with the southern volcanoes being the primary focus of this round. Snow levels should stay well below trailheads and ski area bases, with snow being similarly low-density. Winds will continue overnight Monday, with a slight decline on Tuesday.

All this cold, low-density snow is great to see, but it's going to take a lot more to improve the overall snow coverage. It's still thin out there, and the light snow won't prevent you from hitting any previously exposed objects. Travel cautiously in areas of low snow coverage. 

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