Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The snowpack is still weak on shaded aspects. While the chance of causing a large slide in old snow is low, the consequences are not. Shallow fresh wind slabs might seem easy to manage but could be the bigger trigger needed for a deeper avalanche.

 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–2.5

    A weak layer of sugary snow, often associated with a thin crust, continues to be well documented 2-4ft below the surface. The further we get from the original storm, the less likely these avalanches become, but they are not impossible. 

    You’re most likely to trigger a persistent slab in areas where the snowpack is thin (wind stripped or near rocks), in complex terrain with steep rollovers, or on unsupported slopes. Given the current depth, large triggers like groups of people, cliff drops, or small wind slab avalanches could be needed to cause this layer to fail. 

    No recent human triggered avalanches have been reported despite lots of weekend backcountry use. However, a collection of large crowns was spotted on Sunday just a few miles from the main Baker Backcountry core. What does all this mean? Persistent slabs are hard to predict, especially this far from the storm. Stack the odds in your favor by avoiding complex, higher consequence terrain.

    (2/9/2025)

    This slew of natural avalanches in the West Fork of Swift Creek were reported on Sunday. The time of occurrence and weak layer are hard to pin down. Whatever the details, it's proof the layering is still out there to produce slab avalanches. North aspect at 5500'.

    Photo: Andrew Richardson

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Gusty NE winds formed fresh slabs in some unusual spots. These potential avalanches are more likely near and north of Hwy 542. Since the active loading should be over on Tuesday, look for clues like textured surfaces, scoured slopes, and fresh wind lips pointing toward likely slabs. Some of these wind loaded pockets may be firm and harder to trigger. 

    On Monday, a party found these new wind slabs on Goat Mt’s West Peak. Most slides should be small, but that could be enough weight to trigger a much bigger persistent slab. Steer around pillow-like drifts and firm hollow snow.

    (2/10/2025) A small skier triggered wind slab on Goat Mountain.  Photo: Kyle Pratt & Adam Gellman

Avalanche Discussion

Bundle up! Tuesday looks downright frigid to start the day. Temperatures in the single digits and a bit of wind will make it feel much colder. The upside to the arctic temperatures is it’s keep the snow dry and fluffy. Plenty of soft snow can still be found throughout the mountains. Sunshine on Monday may have formed a thin crust on more southerly aspects. 

With more sunshine on Tuesday, you could see a few natural loose avalanches as snowballs fall off trees and rocks. You might trigger similar sluffs on very steep slopes. After several days of settling, these loose avalanches shouldn’t be much of an issue unless you’re in extreme terrain. 

In shaded areas, several feet of right-side-up powder sits over a series of facets and crusts from the January Drought (JDL) and 1/10. On more southerly aspects, warm sunny weather prior to the last major storm destroyed these layers and left us with a much stronger crust buried on 1/30. Even though it’s been more than a week since the storm, the snowpack basically hasn’t changed.

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