Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Saturday will be another messy day in the mountains with soggy, weak surfaces creating the potential for wet avalanches. Up high, you could find some dry snow blown around by the wind. Natural hazards are abundant throughout the mountains, so take your time and don't get tripped up. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Below the rain/snow line, you'll encounter a soggy and weak snow surface. Take a moment to step out of your mode of travel and see how deeply you're sinking into wet snow. If you plunge in past your ankle, then wet avalanches are possible. The natural potential may have largely passed, but you might be able to push slides down on steep slopes. Although they may start small, they could pick up mass as they move downhill and fan out. Luckily, managing these slides is easy: head for lower-angled terrain.

    In isolated locations, you may see blocks of snow fall off rocky ledges. These can be hazardous themselves and may also initiate wet slides on the slopes below. If you see this type of activity, be cognizant of slopes above you.

    (1/2/2026)

    Rain runnels and rollerballs were observed near the top of White Pass on 1/2. The rain line was higher than the top of the ski area. Areas with wet and weak snow are where you may find wet avalanches on Saturday.

    Photo: White Pass Pro Patrol

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    You'll likely need to get to a high elevation to reach dry snow, but once you do, there may be unstable wind slabs. Look for them near ridgelines, on convex features, or near rocky terrain such as confined chutes or the base of cliffs. Textured surfaces, actively blowing snow, and fresh drifts are visual clues you can use to identify wind-loaded features to avoid. If they form over a firm crust, they could trigger easily. Using small test slopes, uptrack tests, or quick hand pits can help you gauge how large or sensitive these slabs may be. 

    (12/21/2025)

    Obvious signs of the wind help identify which direction the wind has been blowing lately. And in the background, you can see a wind slab avalanche that failed naturally.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Friday wasn't an ideal weather day in the West South zone. Reports are that rain reached far up the hillsides, with terms such as "soggy and moist", "beat-up", or "punchy and nasty" all used to describe the current state of the snowpack. In a few locations, we suspect freezing rain may have fallen, capping the lower-elevation snow in a sheet of ice. Although snow likely fell at higher elevations, we don't have any direct observations to verify the location of the rain/snow line. 

Sadly, Friday night into Saturday isn't looking much better for winter lovers. Expect a similar weather pattern to create a 2-elevation-band kind of day. You should focus on wet avalanches below the rain/snow line and dry avalanches above. The silver lining is that freezing levels should be lowering slightly, and we may even get some blue sky Saturday afternoon. However, winds are expected to be stronger. We'll see how it all plays out, but Sunday is looking a bit more winter-like. So, we'll have to suffer through one more day and then take stock of what's left of our snowpack.

On Friday, NWAC forecasters at Paradise reported that the snowpack had taken a major hit from a warm, sunny week followed by rain. Those travel hazards we've been harping on all season are more pronounced, and this weather pattern likely won't help. Holes, creeks, rocks, and bushes are all commonplace in the mountains. Once temperatures cool and the surface freezes, we'll have a new crust that could become a good sliding surface for avalanches to run on. 

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