Lawinenlagebericht

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Tue
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist in wind loaded terrain or in areas closer to the Cascade crest that received more than 6 inches of recent snow.  The snowpack remains variable and unpredictable depending on your location and aspect. Choose low-angle terrain free of large, overhead slopes for safer touring or riding. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent new snow and a dose of strong winds have built wind slabs on exposed terrain across the zone. In many cases these slabs are likely resting over weak, faceted snow or a firm crust from our January drought. Expect these slabs to be larger and more widespread as you gain elevation.

    You’ll often find these wind slabs on the downwind side of ridges and cliffs, below cornices, and on mid-slope convexities. You can use visual clues like blowing snow and surface textures like ripples and dunes, to help you identify wind loaded features. Shooting cracks or audible whumphs are great reasons to dial it back. 

    Any triggered wind slab could break on faceted snow from January and become a much larger avalanche. Keep your terrain selection conservative by avoiding steep, wind-loaded features for the time being. 

    (2/1/2025)

    Blowing snow, fresh drifts, sharp cornices, and rime all point towards wind loading along this ridgeline. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Storm slabs could break 1-2 ft deep in areas that received more recent snow like Trinity and Salmon La Sac. While some of these storm slabs could break within the new snow, others may become larger and more surprising if they fail on a facet/crust combo from our January drought. 

    These may not be your typical PNW style storm slabs. The easiest way to manage this uncertainty is to stick to low-angle terrain without overhead hazards. Slabs could be particularly sensitive on rollovers or convexities, especially in wind exposed terrain. Monitor the cohesiveness of the surface snow and look for signs of a sensitive slab, such as cracking or collapsing.

    (2/1/2025)

    This intentionally triggered persistent slab, propagated the entire width of the feature. It failed on facets over a thin crust. ENE, 6200ft, SS-ASc-D2-R3-O, 20-24 in deep, 200 ft wide.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

A couple of key observations came in on Sunday. An NWAC forecaster was traveling in the Salmon La Sac and found 14 inches of new snow and reported a few booming collapses on east aspects around 5000 ft . Another backcountry traveler in the northern Chiwaukums also reported isolated whumphs in wind loaded terrain (obs here). These observations hint at deeper instabilities than our typical surface storm and wind slabs that we often deal with. While we haven't heard of any confirmed persistent slabs in the East Central, it may be wise to shape your travel decisions with this in mind, especially further west in the zone. 

A wide range of snow totals fell in the East Central mountains from this past storm. The clear winner was Trinity which reported 15 inches of new snow with Salmon La Sac coming second with over 11 inches of new snow. The Wenatchee Mountains like Blewett Pass and Mission Ridge only picked up a light 1-2 inches of low density paired with strong winds. The takeaway here is that avalanche danger will vary depending on your location in the zone. Expect more dangerous conditions in those areas like Trinity, Salmon La Sac and the Teanaway in the coming days.

Let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here. 

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