West Slopes South

Friday brings the final day of this strech of mild weather and low avalanche danger. If you're heading out, be prepared for variable sliding surfaces and allow extra time to navigate early season hazards like rocks, open creeks, and thinly covered brush. Cold and dry snow can still be found on shady aspects in higher terrain. 

An incoming storm arriving overnight Friday into Saturday will bring rain, snow, and rising avalanche hazard. 

Temperatures moderated a bit on Thursday, topping out a few degrees cooler than the day prior. Expect another dry day Friday with dappled sunshine below some upper elevation clouds, and temperatures at 5000' once again reaching the mid to upper 40's. White Pass and other locations on the eastern edge of the zone may start the day inverted with some east winds, but that looks to dissipate in the afternoon. Mid-elevation clouds filter in later in the day. 

NWAC forecasters were out in the zone on Wednesday and Thursday finding soft, dry snow on east, north, and west aspects above 5000 feet. On sunnier slopes, they encountered some mildly moist snow. Surfaces were smooth in sheltered locations and more variable at higher elevations and in zones with more wind exposure. This video captures just how dependent the current snow conditions are on aspect.   Reports from throughout the zone over the past few days have consistently highlighted generally safe avalanche conditions with only a few roller balls here and there.   

The run of springtime weather wraps up Friday night as a storm makes its way into the Washington Cascades. Rain, even at the upper elevations, is expected to start after 10 pm with snow levels beginning above the Cascade Crest. The good news is that the storm should go out cold, leaving a refresh of snow in its wake. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Mountain Weather Forecast for the specifics.  

For now, the key take away is that this incoming storm is a big change for the snowpack and avalanche danger will rise on Saturday. You'll find more details on timing, snow levels, and avalanche hazard in Saturday's forecast. 

In the meantime, enjoy one last day of quiet weather. Hopefully that's the last of it for a while!