East Slopes North

After a chilly night, watch for small wet avalanches on steep, sunny slopes as the afternoon heats up. With little new snow, most avalanches will be insignificant, but use caution in very steep terrain where a slip and fall could be dangerous. Cornices are always a hazard, so don't linger beneath these overhung monsters. 

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!

Overnight temperatures will be quite cold, but as a ridge builds over the PNW, temperatures will warm quickly, and the mid-April sun packs a punch.  Steep, sunny slopes could still produce small wet avalanches in the recent snow. Rocks shedding slabs of snow and cornice failures are always a hazard. Avoid lingering under large, overhanging cornices, slopes with open glide cracks, and cliffs still holding slabs of snow. If you are sinking below your boot top into wet snow, these wet snow problems are more likely, and it's probably time to move to shady aspects or lower angle terrain. 

Saturday was a relatively chilly day with moderate ridgeline winds. While we don't expect there was much soft, dry snow to drift around, you may find small, shallow wind slabs. These will likely be isolated to the upper elevations in very steep or confined, rocky terrain. If you observe blowing snow or cracking in wind-stiffened snow, avoid these terrain features where small avalanches can carry heavy consequences.  

If you’re venturing into terrain east of Mazama, there is a chance for deeper avalanches on older weak layers. If you dig and find a layer of weak, sugary facets or weak, moist snow in the middle of the snowpack, steer clear of steep, open slopes. Falling cornices could initiate much deeper, larger avalanches in these areas.

Even though the forecast season has ended, you can still read about conditions and contribute by submitting an observation.