Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Large wet avalanches are the main concern right now, thanks to soggy snow and rising temperatures. When traveling through soft, wet snow, choose lower-angle terrain, and do not linger in gullies and slopes beneath large avalanche paths, even at lower elevations where, in most areas, the danger is Low. If you make it to upper elevations, you could still trigger an avalanche in the dryer storm snow on steep slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Weather and the snowpack are fickle right now, and there is uncertainty about how spicy wet avalanche conditions will be on Tuesday. Without a freeze and temperatures continuing to climb, wet avalanche activity will persist. Natural and human triggered avalanches should be expected. Cloudy skies mean avalanches will happen on all aspects. Don’t expect a refreeze until skies clear (like maybe on Wednesday), so soggy snow and wet avalanches will persist. Avalanches could gouge down to the crust and run far in gullies and on open slopes.

    Stick to lower-angle terrain. If you see recent avalanches, avoid runouts or move through them quickly. Even though danger is generally Low at lower elevations where there is minimal snow over the old crust, don’t linger in gullies or beneath large slopes connected to bigger avalanche paths holding more snow above.

    Example photo: Large and destructive wet avalanches could happen on Tuesday. 

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    A multi-day storm ended Monday night, and dry snow may linger for one more day at upper elevations. In higher terrain—where the surface snow is still dry or only lightly wet—you could trigger a slab avalanche.

    Feel for heavier snow over lighter, drier snow. Do quick hand pits to check bonding in layers closer to the surface. and look for recent avalanches or other red flags like long, shooting cracks. If you see upside-down snow or other warning signs, avoid steep slopes. Expect avalanches to be larger and more reactive in wind-loaded areas. 

    Snow over the grunty crust could be several feet deep up high. There’s also a very small chance of a buried weak layer on shady, upper-elevation slopes or farther east in the zone. It’s spotty and uncertain—but if you hit the right spot, the result could be a large unsurvivable avalanche. That’s another good reason to stay out of steep terrain for the next few days as warming continues.

    Example photo: You could trigger large slab avalanches on steep slopes on Tuesday. 

    Photo: Isaac Thistle

Avalanche Discussion

A long dry stretch ended Jan 28, and since then, Heather Meadows has picked up over 7 inches of water (much less in some other areas around the zone). Snowlines bounced between 4,000–6,000 ft, switching between rain and snow. Upper elevations now hold several feet of snow over a crust, while lower elevations have much less.

Recent observations include small wet loose avalanches at Canyon Creek and the Shuksan Arm, a cornice-triggered wet loose D2 on Table Mountain, and then a shift to light dry snow with sluffs in the Baker backcountry a day later —conditions have been changing a lot.

Dry snow will mostly disappear by Tuesday as high pressure returns and temperatures rise above 10,000 ft by later in the week. Expect plenty of wet avalanche potential in the next couple days, especially at upper elevations with deep new snow that hasn't yet gotten wet. Conditions remain uncertain, so assess conditions for yourself and travel cautiously.

Regions covered