Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
4 · Gross
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 8 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Avoid travel on or below steep upper-elevation terrain and anywhere the wind is actively drifting snow. Stick to lower-angle, sheltered slopes while the new snow settles. Deep new snow also increases the risk of snow immersion accidents—keep partners in sight and be ready to help if someone becomes stuck.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Very Likely
    Größe
    2–3

    The greatest danger on Thursday will occur during periods of intense loading on wind-exposed slopes. Not every peak and ridgeline will see strong westerly winds, but areas that do are likely to produce natural avalanches. The southern half of the forecast zone should see higher danger due to stronger winds and heavy, convergence zone-enhanced snowfall.

    Avoid travel on or below steep slopes where wind is actively drifting snow, including large slopes well above you. This is not a day to probe around wind-loaded terrain looking for a workaround—step back early and avoid steep slopes and large slopes overhead.

    Blowing snow = no go on Thursday.

  • Storm Slabs

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

    The new snow layers are slowly gaining strength, but continued snowfall means human-triggered slab avalanches remain likely. In areas with little or no slab at the surface, expect loose dry avalanches large enough to knock you off your feet or push you into terrain traps.

    Use test slopes and simple observations to assess how well the new snow is bonding before considering any avalanche terrain. Shooting cracks and recent avalanche activity are red flags to dial terrain back to lower-angle slopes. When in doubt, choose the more conservative option and avoid slopes with terrain traps in the runout below.

    (1/7/2026)

    Small natural avalanche on a gully wall in  Swift Creek/West North. Likely released sometime Wednesday morning. Northeast aspect at roughly 4600 feet.

    Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mountain Rescue

Avalanche Discussion

West Central has picked up significant new snow since rain transitioned to snow on January 3. White Chuck recorded nearly a 30-inch increase in snow depth, with other parts of the forecast zone likely seeing similar or greater totals. Recent natural and human-triggered avalanches reported from nearby areas highlight how sensitive the storm snow has been under this loading pattern.

At Stevens Pass, a skier triggered a slab avalanche and was caught, carried, and partially buried on an east aspect at approximately 5,000 feet. The skier credited proper airbag use with avoiding injury, and multiple additional avalanches were reported in the area.

An observer in West North reported several recent natural avalanches in sheltered terrain, likely releasing sometime Wednesday morning. These appeared relatively shallow and did not entrain the full depth of storm snow, though crowns from larger natural avalanches were also observed. Avalanche control work produced numerous avalanches up to D2 in size, with a few larger releases reported as well. Deep, light snow and no recent avalanche activity were reported from the south side of Mount Baker.

 

 

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