Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
No rating
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Warm temperatures will continue to promote wet snow instabilities on steep, sun-exposed slopes as the day heats up. Pay close attention to your position, timing, and consider moving out of steep terrain if the snow feels sticky or starts shedding downhill. Small avalanches can still be consequential in steep, complex terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    The chance of triggering small wet loose avalanches that run on a crust will increase as the morning warms up. There have been plenty of signs of warming reported, such as rollerballs and chunks of snow peeling off steep, sun-exposed slopes in recent days. Look for these warning signs to continue as freezing levels stay elevated through Sunday. You may start noticing these signs of warming on more shaded slopes as the weekend progresses. Look for rollerballs and pinwheels as precursors to larger wet loose avalanches. The upper snowpack has not fully transitioned from dry to wet yet, so let sticky surfaces be another indicator that triggering wet loose avalanches will be possible. 

    The hot weather may also weaken cornices and widen glide cracks in some areas. Limit your exposure where you find these bigger overhanging chunks of snow exist, as they often fail without warning.

    (4/4/2026)

    Signs of warming on north-facing terrain in the Stevens Pass zone on Saturday. Expect similar activity in the East South.

    Photo: Katie Warren

Avalanche Discussion

Sunday is shaping up to be another warm day across the eastern Cascades. The only difference from Saturday may just be some thin high clouds that should’t really affect the avalanche forecast. Saturday night will bring another night of high freezing levels, but with mostly clear skies, the upper snowpack should undergo a light refreeze. Expect this surface crust to break down by late morning and give way to warming induced instabilites as the sun moves around the dial. If you head to more shaded aspects at upper elevations, expect to find some dry snow and keep small wind slabs on your radar if traveling in consequential terrain. These could remain reactive to a human-trigger if they rest over faceted grains on a crust. 

Public observations have been limited due to low snow and difficult access. An NWAC Forecaster around Bumping Lake on Friday reported very patchy snow coverage and rugged travel to 5200 ft (observation here). Contrary to telemetry data, they reported only 1 inch of recent snow over the 3/25 crust at middle elevations. It is possible that more snow exists at upper elevations, and they observed signs of wind drift here.

On Thursday, an NWAC Forecaster in East Central found small but reactive wind slab and dry loose avalanche conditions. Both problem types released on either the 3/25 crust or a small layer of near surface facets above the crust. Similar conditions were observed on both Thursday and Friday throughout the West South and Snoqualmie zones, with widely breaking slabs around Crystal, White Pass, and Alpental Valley.

Large temperature fluctuations and minimal new snow have made mountain travel challenging. Expect dry approaches, high creeks, and some glacier lilies at lower elevations and firm, slide-for-life surfaces in middle and upper elevation terrain, particularly during the morning hours. Crampons, an ice axe, and experience moving through hard snow may be necessary on steeper slopes before the sun works its magic. 

Are you heading out into the mountains?  Let us know what you see by submitting an observation here or on the AvyApp

 

Regions covered