West Slopes South

You're unlikely to trigger an avalanche on Monday, but firm and uneven snow surfaces could make for challenging travel. As the day heats up, keep an eye out for isolated pockets of unstable wet snow on sunny slopes, near rock bands, and cliffs. 

Sunday brought sunny and calm weather to the West South zone. Clear skies overnight allowed for a solid refreeze of the surface snow. Wind speeds stayed fairly light through the day, with mid and upper elevations climbing to near 40 F with the sunshine. Observers in the Paradise area reported firm conditions, with upper elevations barely softening by the afternoon. A few more large to very large avalanches were spotted around the northern side of Mount Rainier. These slides most likely occurred a few days ago.

Another storm system is on track for the Cascades, and Monday afternoon will show the first hints of change. Expect similar weather to Sunday, albeit a bit warmer in the afternoon with building clouds. Another clear night will, once again, firm up the snow by Monday morning.

With a solid refreeze overnight and cloud cover in the afternoon, it's unlikely significant wet snow instability will develop on Monday. Just in case, during the heat of the day, keep an eye out for isolated areas of unstable wet snow on sunny slopes, near rocks, and cliff bands.

With all the recent rain and warm temperatures, snow surfaces have gotten pretty beat up across the West South. Snow coverage also looks very different since the last major storm cycle came through. If you're getting an early start to the day or plan to climb high on the volcanoes, bring the proper equipment to prevent long, sliding falls.