Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A spring storm will create dangerous avalanche conditions above the snow line, especially earlier in the day. However, once the sun pokes out - watch out. Steer around steep slopes once you notice signs of warming, such as rollerballs cascading downhill or sticky, gloppy snow under your feet or machine. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet avalanches will shed as the day heats up and the sun pokes out. It likely won’t take much sun or warming for the new snow layer to react. These wet loose avalanches will likely entrain the new snow, but could gouge deeper and grow larger than you may expect. Initially, you’ll likely see obvious signs of warming along solar aspects and adjacent to cliff bands. However, avalanches could become problematic on steep, shaded slopes at middle elevations as the day heats up. Once you notice rollerballs shedding and gloppy sticky surfaces, consider moving to shadier or less steep terrain. 

    (2/10/2024)

    As the sun makes an appearence, you may notice rollerballs and slides like this. 

    Photo: Brad C

  • Storm Slabs

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

    A spring storm will lay down 4-8 inches of new snow across the western reaches of the zone. The thickest unstable slabs are most likely to be found in exposed, wind-drifted terrain. However, with warmer springtime temperatures in place, you could also trigger slabs on any steep enough slope, wind-loaded or not. 

    There will be a wide variety of snow totals across the zone, so pay attention to snow depth and stiffness as you gain elevation and change aspects. Look for upside-down layering using hand pits or small test slopes to gauge slab reactivity. Default to less steep terrain if you notice shooting cracks or the new snow bonding poorly to the underlying surfaces. 

    (3/3/2024) Photo: Nicholas Vincent

    An example of a small storm slab. This time of year slides may blur the lines between loose and slab, wet and dry.

Avalanche Discussion

As usual, this storm will bring higher storm totals to areas closer to the Cascade crest. You’ll generally encounter the more dangerous conditions in the western reaches of the zone, like Salmon La Sac, the Stuart Range, and up near Holden. Areas further east will only receive small amounts of new precipitation. Snow lines will hover around 5000 ft, so look for more dynamic conditions as you gain elevation. 

Spring storms tend to be a challenge for avalanche forecasting. Strong storms can give way to sun and microwave-like warming in a matter of minutes - and then turn back to snow showers by the afternoon. Dry snow avalanche problems can quickly turn into wet snow avalanche problems, or you might see both simultaneously on slopes with different aspects. So, as a backcountry traveler, be on your game as conditions change and adjust your travel plan based on your personal observations. 

Lower elevations are melting out quickly this year. Be prepared for more challenging approaches, firm snow, and low coverage extending into middle elevations. Open creeks, exposed rocks, and slide-for-life conditions can easily exacerbate the consequence of a small avalanche. 

Let us know what you see as you travel in the mountains by submitting a public observation here. 

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