Boletín de aludes

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Wed
Alta montaña
2 · Moderado
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
2 · Moderado
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 8 months ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

Loose wet avalanches are the primary concern as temperatures rise and the sun shines.  Move off and away from steep slopes where you see rollerballs or small loose wet avalanches. Avoid very steep, wind-loaded terrain at upper elevations where unstable slabs still linger.

Problemas de aludes

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Possible
    Tamaño
    1–1.5

    Sun-exposed slopes saw significant warming on Monday, producing widespread rollerballs and pinwheels.  Cloud cover increased by early afternoon, which helped keep actual wet avalanche activity in check. A solid crust should form on these slopes overnight, but temperatures will warm again on Tuesday. While avalanches aren’t a given, the setup is there, and wet snow problems are worth keeping in mind.

    Look for small loose wet avalanches initiating in steep, rocky, treed, or cliffy terrain as the day warms. Wet activity should remain limited in size, but conditions may change as the surface crust breaks down and the snow surface warms again. Keep an eye on what’s happening above you. Rollerballs and very small loose wet avalanches are clear signs that the snow surface is warming and becoming unstable.

    (12/29/2025)

    Wet snow and rollerballs galore on a south-facing slope in the Baker Backcountry.

    Photo: Zack McGill - Cascade Mountain Ascents

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Unlikely
    Tamaño
    1–2

    Wind slabs are often a thing of the past four days after the last round of snow and wind, but a few exceptions remain this time. Fresher slabs may still exist in high-alpine terrain where winds were just strong enough to continue transporting snow through the weekend. Also, two human-triggered slab avalanches on Sunday in West North are a reminder that this problem hasn’t fully faded.

    Use scoured surfaces, cornices, and subtle changes in snow depth and stiffness to pinpoint where rogue wind slabs may still be lurking. Use extra caution in wind-loaded terrain, especially in exposed alpine areas. Even a small slab can carry you through rocky, rugged terrain and have serious consequences.

    (12/28/2025)

    This steep, cross-loaded terrain feature produced a human-triggered avalanche on Sunday. Happy Bunny Butte/Video Peak, east aspect at 4900 feet.

    Photo: Benjamin Pontecorvo

Avalanche Discussion

Observations were a bit sparse after a weekend of good weather and excellent snow. A team on Shuksan reported no new avalanches but noted that isolated hard wind slabs remain a concern in steep terrain. The December 24 crust was found anywhere from the surface to about 16 inches deep and presented as a thin ice lens, rather than the thicker melt-freeze crust found at mid elevations. 

Some observers in middle-elevation terrain found cold snow on shaded slopes, while others in slightly lower areas found rollerballs and wet snow even on north aspects. A few glide cracks were starting to open up as well.

Wind slab concerns have lingered longer than usual this cycle. Snow that fell December 25–26 rests over slightly weaker snow above the December 24 crust, and this structure—combined with colder temperatures earlier in the weekend—has helped preserve pockets of instability. Human-triggered wind slab avalanches were reported three days in a row in West North, though no new ones were reported as of Monday afternoon. A sign that warmer temperatures, settlement, and time are doing their work of making the snowpack stronger.

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