Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Highlights

A spring storm will bring an uptick in avalanche danger in wind loaded terrain, especially closer to the Cascade Crest, where natural or triggered avalanches could be larger. Pay attention to active wind loading and wind-stiffened surfaces to help anticipate where unstable slabs may exist. Increasing chances of clearing skies may promote wet snow instabilities on steep slopes that catch sun. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    New snow and strong winds will create a fresh batch of reactive wind slabs that may easily be triggered by a person's or a rider's weight. Most of these slabs will likely be on the smaller side, but they could be thicker in larger alpine terrain or in heavily loaded areas. These slabs will form over a mix of wet snow surfaces or crusts from recent days, so reactivity may vary from slope to slope. 

    Look for these drifts to be most prevalent on the downwind sides of ridges and saddles, below cornices, and near rocky complex terrain. Blowing snow, wind rippled surfaces, and sharp cornices are clear indicators that wind slabs may lurk on slopes nearby. Shooting cracks and recent avalanche activity are clear red flags to keep slope angles in check.

    (4/14/2026)

    Visual clues of wind transported snow and potentially wind loaded slopes. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    As the storm starts to loosen its grip by late morning, there will be increasing chances of sun breaks that could promote wet snow instabilities on sun exposed slopes. It won’t take much sun or warming at the snow surface for the new snow to react. Pay close attention to rollerballs, pinwheels, or sticky snow surfaces as these are precursors to larger, wet loose avalanches. Head for a shadier slope if you see these signs of warming. 

    (2/10/2026)

    An example of rollerballs shedding on a sunny day after recent snowfall. 

    Photo: Irene Henninger

Avalanche Discussion

A spring storm will bring some much-needed snowfall to the mountains. While the East South may be rain-shaowed from the bulk of the action, accumulations should still range 5-10” range depending on where you are in the zone. As is typical, expect higher accumulations and greater danger closer to the Crest that receives more snow. 

Observations tend to be sparse this year, and especially in this zone, given the lack of snow at access points. Stay tuned as you climb above the snow line and be ready to switch gears based on what you see. It could be one of those days where snowpack stability changes rapidly due to spring weather. On one slope, you could be dealing with dry slab avalanche problems, while on one slope over with more sun, it could warming and prime spots to trigger wet avalanches. Take your time making and processing observations, and pick less consequential or simpler terrain to reduce uncertainty.

The prolonged warm spell in March decimated the already struggling East South snowpack. Below 5,000 ft, snow coverage is too limited for avalanche danger at this time—so we’re issuing a No Rating for lower elevations. You can still find rideable snow at middle and upper elevations.

Are you heading out? You can help the forecast staff and backcountry community out by submitting your observation here or on the AvyApp.

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