Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Cooling temperatures, cloud cover, and light snow will leave the East North zone with minimal concerns for avalanches. There's still a lingering chance for falling cornices. If you venture above 7,000ft, watch for very shallow drifts of snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–2

    On the heels of a sustained warm-up, it's worth keeping cornice falls in mind. They typically fall with prolonged warming temperatures, and the instability can linger after temperatures begin to cool. Managing this problem is all about limiting your exposure to overhead cornices. Pay attention to what's above you. Choose routes that minimize or eliminate any time you spend on or under these features. After another day of cooling, cornice falls will become less of a concern.

    (12/12/2023)

    Example; A  cornice near Blue Lake Peak. 

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

A mild storm will bring temperatures crashing back down on Wednesday, but unfortunately, only a dusting of snow will make it to the northeastern Cascades. Winds will be strong enough overnight to drift what little snow is available to transport. On Wednesday, you can expect a decent amount of cloud cover with minor warming on sun-exposed slopes. Where you do find 1-2" of new snow, you may see small rollerballs, though wet avalanches shouldn't pose any hazard.

On Monday, WDSOT forecasters and road crews continued their work to clear Highway 20, Washington Pass. They saw natural loose wet avalanches to size D2 on steep rock slabs. They also triggered some smaller wet avalanches with large explosives. Notably, they weren't able to trigger cornices that still loom over sunny slopes.

The snowpack is relatively simple. Warming temperatures in the past week drove wet loose avalanches, creeping higher in the terrain each day. The 3/22 crust is the prominent layer about 1 foot below the surface on high elevation and shaded slopes. On the 31st, observers on Silverstar Mtn assessed the crust and found little concern with it. If you dig about 3 feet below the surface, you can find remnants of old crust/weak layers, though they are no longer a concern for avalanches. 

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