Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Your largest concern is firm or variable snow conditions which could make travel challenging. There is a small chance that steep, south-facing slopes could soften and wet snow avalanches could occur.  If you’re traveling in areas near Snoqualmie or Stevens Pass, check the forecasts for those zones as well.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Wet loose avalanches frequently occurred at the start of the warming trend when the snow first encountered warm temperatures and liquid water. Now it will take a lot of intense sunlight on steep, southerly slopes to loosen several inches of snow for avalanches to occur. 

    Thursday we received snow in upper elevation areas, especially nearer to Stevens Pass. This newer layer is the most likely to moisten and slide. If you notice steep southerly slopes softening and your feet sinking several inches down, consider retreating to areas with harder snow surfaces. Keep this in mind if you’re on more sheltered slopes beneath a large area which may receive more warming than where you are, especially if rocks are nearby to absorb more heat.

Avalanche Discussion

Snow settled, melted out, and received a lot of rain in the last two weeks. Much of the snowpack, especially at lower elevations, transitioned into large melt forms. Solid crusts coat many surfaces, and the snow is used to freezing and thawing now, making avalanches less likely. 

There are still some avalanche concerns to highlight in these conditions: glide avalanches and cornice triggered avalanches. Keep an eye out for glide cracks or “wrinkled” snow surfaces in steep, smooth rocky terrain. A glide crack could fail and a large section below it could avalanche. Identify and minimize time spent below these features, cornices, or anything else that looks unstable and poorly attached to the rest of the slope. Danger from all the above will persist until temperatures cool.

At the highest elevations, small wind slabs could still present risk in steep, exposed  north-facing terrain. Identify and evaluate wind-loaded slopes before moving onto them.

Regions covered