Lawinenlagebericht

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
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Kernpunkte

Another stormy day will result in dangerous avalanche conditions in the West South zone. Remember that the snowpack doesn't like rapid change, so avalanches will be easier to trigger or could fail naturally during periods of heavy precipitation or strong winds. Red flag signs, such as recent avalanches or shooting cracks, should prompt you to head toward simpler terrain. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

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

    The snow is going to keep piling up on Thursday, maintaining the potential for storm-related avalanches. We have now had several rounds of precipitation, resulting in multiple interstorm layers that could fail as true storm slabs. Using uptrack tests and small test slopes may not give you the whole story since you'll need to look for issues as deep as the 1/3 interface. The best way to do this is to dig by hand or with a shovel and look for points of failure. 

    As winds increase and transport the low-density snow onto leeward slopes, slabs could become larger and more sensitive. You may even see natural avalanches occur during periods of high winds or intense precipitation. Whether natural or human-triggered, avalanches will be more likely on slopes over 35 degrees, and your best mitigation tool is avoidance.  

    (1/7/2026)

    A small natural slab avalanche in the Bullion Basin area of the Crystal Backcountry. 

    Photo: Shane Robinson

Avalanche Discussion

Our winter kick-off party will continue on Thursday, with additional snowfall and strong winds. As of Wednesday evening, storm totals vary around the zone, but you can expect to find anywhere from 2 to 2.5 feet of snow over the 1/3 interface at middle and upper elevations. This is the area of the snowpack to focus your stability assessments on. Whether it's storm slab, wind slab, or even loose, we expect all avalanche activity to occur in this week's storm snow. 

Both human-triggered and natural avalanches were reported at White Pass and in the Crystal area on Wednesday. Although most slides were considered small, some ran far distances. Over at Government Meadows, sledders reported 18 inches of low-density snow with small avalanche crowns on road cuts. With such stormy weather, all aspects and elevations will present heightened hazard on Thursday, but upper elevations could reach another level if strong winds rapidly load leeward slopes. 

The new snow is certainly helping increase coverage and thus travel throughout the mountains. But those obstacles that were easily visible a few days ago are now buried just under the surface. Holes and creeks may be more hidden than in previous days, with only light and fluffy snow above them. In fact, the new snow could be considered a hazard. Don't get pushed over into a place you can't get out of easily. Keep your friends in sight and be prepared to lend a helping hand.

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