East Slopes South

While generally safe avalanche conditions exist, continue to be mindful of wet avalanche concerns on very steep, sun-exposed slopes, particularly closer to the Cascade Crest during the heat of the day. Give sagging cornices or blocks of snow clinging onto cliffs some space. Expect a high price of admission to enter the mountains right now, and be aware of shallowly buried hazards that continue to plague the mountains of the East South. 

Another warm day with 11,000 ft freezing levels is in store for the East South mountains. While generally safe avalanche conditions exist across the zone, still be mindful of warming-induced avalanche concerns on very steep, sun-exposed slopes, particularly closer to the Cascade Crest that have more recent snow resting over the January Drought Interface. Pay close attention to your boot penetration as you move from slope to slope, and consider moving to less steep terrain if you’re punching past your boot-tops in wet, sloppy snow. The warm temperatures have also weakened many cornices, so continue to give sagging cornices some space, and don’t linger under chunks of snow clinging onto cliffs. 

During the short period of stormy weather, the Bumping Lake station recorded nearly 3 inches of precipitation, and the Green Lake station recorded close to 1 inch. This is typical for the zone to see considerably more precipitation closer to the Cascade Crest. This was confirmed by an NWAC Forecaster who visited several SnoPark trailheads in the zone on Wednesday and found dry ground at easterly trailheads, but enough snow to safely travel on to the west. Another forecaster traveling at nearby Crystal Mountain found plenty of recent wet-loose avalanche activity and challenging travel (observation here). If you are traveling in areas very close to the Crest, it could be worth your time to check out the West South forecast. This NWAC Instagram post, although older and not representative of current conditions, does a great job of further explaining the west-east divide.

Observations from this zone would be very valuable if you’re getting out—please share what you’re seeing.