East Slopes North

Chilly nights and a reprieve from the rain have helped limit avalanche concerns. The most likely hazard to encounter is challenging travel on slick, icy surfaces. But keep small avalanches in wet snow or wind-drifted snow on your mind. Even if they're very isolated, they could pose a hazard in very steep terrain. 

WSDOT plans to begin work on reopening Highway 20 on Monday, March 23rd. Please adhere to any access restrictions for your safety and the safety of the road crews. We'll get another sunny morning before clouds roll in on Monday, as another warm, wet storm system heads our way. Cold temperatures overnight will likely give our snowpack another deep freeze, limiting avalanche hazard, but increasing travel concerns. So if you're headed out in the early morning, make sure to bring appropriate equipment to prevent long sliding falls.At higher elevations, the tail end of the storm brought around 1-2" of snow, which may have drifted into small wind slabs. In extreme, confined, or rocky terrain, even these small slides could cause serious injuries. Make frequent observations before committing to consequential terrain.  On Saturday, observers reported triggering very small wet loose avalanches in this freshly fallen snow as it warmed in the sun. You might still be able to push some rollerballs or small wet loose avalanches if the sun warms up slopes on Monday. 

Late last week, a prolonged atmospheric river brought .7-1" of rain to the East North zone, with higher totals farther west. Expect a drastically altered mountain environment from a week ago. We've lost a significant amount of our snow depth, exposing many more obstacles. So plan ahead for longer and more challenging backcountry access.