East Slopes South

The hazard in the morning will come from slick surfaces that you could slip and slide on, so bring equipment that will help stop your fall. If the snow softens up in the afternoon to the point that you're punching deeply through, you might want to step back from steep terrain as a wet snow avalanche could become possible. Keep an eye on overhanging chunks of snow that could suddenly fall and take your time as you work to and from your objective; lower elevations are riddled with exposed hazards.

This is the last avalanche forecast for the 24-25 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through April 27th. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter!

The forecasted temperature differences for Saturday night and Sunday are, well, night and day! We could see overnight temperatures up to 12 degrees (F) colder than Friday night, then daytime temperatures might rise up to 15 degrees (F) warmer than Saturday. Coupled with low wind speeds, it will turn into a proper Spring day on Sunday.

Despite this, we don't expect there to be significant avalanche hazard. Crusts that formed overnight will need to break down, and a lot of steep slopes prone to sliding already have. Nonetheless, if you find yourself punching deeply through wet, sloppy snow, take a step back from steep terrain. Rollerballs, pinwheels, and sticky surfaces indicate the snowpack is destabilizing as well.

Put some thought towards shed-style avalanches, which are hard to predict and have higher consequences. These are cornice failures, glide avalanches, and large chunks of snow peeling off rock faces. You can reduce your risk by minimizing your exposure. Don't linger under cornices that appear to be sagging, try to keep moving as you travel on or below large avalanche paths, and don't enter onto a slope with a glide crack present.

Crusty conditions in the morning mean the chance of simply just slipping and sliding is increased. An NWAC Forecaster traveling around the nearby East Central zone on Friday found conditions such as these. It'll behoove you to carry a "sharp"; ski/boot crampons or a whippet are good examples. A long, uncontrolled fall over consequential terrain could be a season ending accident.

Down low, travel has become more hazardous. The snowpack is thin (or nonexistent) and full of rocks, open creeks, downed logs, and branches. There are also open holes that might not be visible from afar. Take care to make your entry and exit into the backcountry slower and more deliberate.

A general information product will be published after Sunday with guidance on traveling in the backcountry during the Spring without an avalanche forecast. 

You can continue to support your community by submitting observations to the website or the AVY app for the rest of the season. Stay safe, and we'll see you in the Fall!