Eastside Region

Gradual warming is the main concern to keep track of today. Be on the lookout for signs of wetter-than-expected surface snow, and minimize time spent under overhead hazards such as cornices and steep rocky slopes.

The most recent avalanche activity likely occurred overnight on 2/13 or on the morning of 2/14. In the days since we have had no reported signs of instability.

Today is expected to be a few degrees warmer than yesterday, with freezing levels reaching 11,000'. The snowpack has had gradual exposure to warming in the past week, and melt-freeze crusts are well-developed on solar aspects, so wet snow instability should be isolated today. Differences between forecasted and actual temperatures, wind speeds, and cloud cover are the main source of uncertainty today. The best way to hedge your bets is to avoid prolonged exposure in terrain traps underneath large mountainsides with warming snow. Watch for classic signs of wet snow instability such as increasing ski and boot penetration in wet snow, rollerballs, and pinwheels as indications that warming is exceeding expectations.

We are keeping track of faceting in the upper snowpack on colder aspects.   Areas for extra caution with this set-up are small isolated terrain features where weak snow is capped with a shallow slab of wind-deposited snow formed in wind events over the past two weeks. Human triggering is unlikely for now and the potential size would most likely be small as there is limited continuity in upper snowpack layering. You are most likely to find this set-up on sheltered N and NE slopes near and above treeline that were not scoured by the most recent NE wind. As we get more snow and wind loading over the next week the areas for concern in the upper snowpack will likely develop a wider distribution, and become more sensitive to triggering. As we approach that threshold keeping tabs on the structure of the upper snowpack will put you in a better position to manage the potential problem as it develops.