Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

We'll start the week off with increasing avalanche danger on Monday. Use caution as you gain elevation, looking to avoid what could be very reactive wind slabs near and above treeline, especially on steep and shaded slopes. Pay attention to, and heed signs of instability like shooting cracks, and active wind transported snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong winds and some new snow may create shallow wind slabs near and above treeline on Monday. Look for instabilities to develop near the crest of the East Central, especially on northwest to east aspects. Faceted grains rest above a crust from early March, and may cause reactive or surprising conditions to develop once there is enough new snow over it. You could trigger slopes easily, nearby with your weight. Look for shooting cracks and use small, steep test slopes to check and see how the new snow is bonding before trusting larger slopes. Use visual clues such as wind texturing or direct signs of wind drifted snow to identify areas you may want to avoid.

    With daytime warming, expect small rollerballs or wet loose avalanches lower elevation slopes in areas with new snow. Wet sticky snow can also be a good indicator that you could trigger small loose wet slides. Use caution on steep slopes or underneath any large consequential ones if you find these signs.

    Example wind slab. Photo: Andrew Kiefer

Avalanche Discussion

It's time to take a step back in our terrain selection. As a weak storm approaches the area, we should see increasing avalanche danger through the day on Monday, with dangerous conditions developing by Tuesday. The mountains near the crest and further south (such as the Salmon la Sac) should be favored with our upcoming storms. Weak faceted snow, sometimes overlying thick crusts, has been documented on sheltered northern aspects in parts of the East Central and neighboring Snoqualmie and Stevens Passes. This notoriously weak structure may persist and cause lingering instabilities well into the week. Please submit an observation of what you find out there if you make it out, it will help everyone better understand the potential slab avalanche problem that we may have to navigate moving forward.

Various challenging surface conditions exist, such as shallowly buried avalanche debris, slippery crusts, and thin snow cover at low elevations. A widespread avalanche cycle occurred throughout the Cascades on the 28th-March 1st, and left plenty of large piles of debris to navigate. 

Regions covered