Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Strong winds and additional snowfall will maintain dangerous avalanche conditions across the zone. Wind-loaded terrain will be the most sensitive, but still be mindful of steep, open slopes in more sheltered terrain that could harbor lingering storm instabilities. You can reduce your chance of triggering an avalanche by sticking to sheltered slopes below 35 degrees that offer excellent powder riding. 

0730 Forecast Update: Added information about potential wet snow instabilities in the forecast discussion. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong SW winds have built sensitive wind slabs across the eastern mountains. Due to these strong winds, you may find these wind slabs further down slope, on mid-slope convexities, or even further down in the trees than you would normally see. With continued overnight loading, expect these slabs to be most sensitive during the morning hours. 

    Keep an eye out for these slabs on the downwind sides of ridges, below cornices, or beneath cliffbands and in gully features. You can use visual clues like blowing snow or looking for rippled, textured surfaces to help you identify where the wind has been at work. Shooting cracks under your feet or machine are good reasons to dial it back. Give steep, wind-loaded features another day or two before jumping into bigger terrain. 

    Additional Discussion:

    You may find continued reactivity within the new snow, especially in the western reaches of the zone that received higher amounts. Look for storm snow instabilities by utilizing small test slopes or snowpack tests before committing to steeper features or unsupported slopes in more sheltered locations.  On Saturday, backcountry travelers found these storm slabs to be reactive in the nearby West South zone. 

    (3/14/2025)

    Dune-like drifts arund Darland Ridge. Visual clues like this can help you idenftify where wind slabs lurk. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

The bulk of the precipitation is forecast to come during the overnight hours, with decreasing rates throughout Sunday. You'll likely encounter the most sensitive conditions when you first push off from the trailhead on Sunday morning.  As the weather system exits our region, there's an increased chance of some sun breaks, especially later in the afternoon. If this occurs, be mindful of potential wet loose instabilities on solar (SW-SE) aspects. While most wet loose would be small, it won't take much time for the new snow to react.  Head for more shaded slopes if you notice rollerballs and pinwheels peeling off steep slopes. 

So far, this has been a pretty good pattern for the mountains around the East South. On Saturday, snow totals ranged from 8 inches around Darland Mountain while areas closer to Chinook and White Pass picked up 15 inches. The common theme across weather stations was the strong SW winds. No matter the location, there is easily enough snow and wind to create dangerous avalanche conditions across the zone. This was noted by one skier traveling on the border of the West South. The skier reported heavy drifting and whumphing and triggered a small storm slab in sheltered terrain. You can check out their full observation here.

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