East Slopes South

New snow and wind will kick off a round of large and potentially deadly avalanches. Avalanches could break widely across terrain features, onto adjacent low-angled slopes, and may run to lower elevations. Avoid traveling in or under avalanche terrain and put an extra-large buffer of terrain between where you travel and slopes steeper than 30 degrees.  

Persistent slab avalanche problems exist in the neighboring West South and East Central zones. We think they are present throughout the East South zone, although we have no information to confirm this on the ground. Persistent slabs are very dangerous, surprising, and difficult to predict. They can propagate widely across terrain features and can result in very large and unsurvivable avalanches. Stay out of all avalanche terrain near and above treeline. And lower-angle slopes if you recreate below treeline. Make sure to stop and regroup in places that are well away from and out from under avalanche paths. Avoid going near or underneath large slopes, as you could trigger avalanches from far away. We expect upwards of 6 inches of heavier and denser snow to fall with southerly winds. The additional loading will create is likely to tip the balance of the snowpack and bring natural avalanches by Sunday evening. 

See the avalanche forecasts for adjacent zones to the north (East Central) and west (West South) that both show signs of buried persistent weak layers within the upper snowpack. If you see weak layers in the snow or experience collapsing please let us know by submitting an observation.

At lower elevations, snow fell on ground that was bare prior to this week and rain may fall up to 4500 ft. Expect tricky travel down in the forest with plenty of obstacles and shallowly buried objects to block your path. 

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state, and federal health officials. Avoid unnecessary risks that could impact first responders and stress medical resources.  Wear a mask when appropriate, practice social distancing, and consider recreating closer to home.