Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Even with Low Danger, continue to investigate recently drifted snow, especially below ridgelines at upper elevations.  If you're starting at lower elevations, be ready for challenging early-season travel due to low snow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recently formed wind slabs will likely be hard to find and tough to trigger.  That said, they may be lurking out there in isolated areas.  As you move up in elevation and into more exposed terrain, use a pole or probe to feel for stiffer snow and deeper drifts. Use small test slopes to test the bond of the recent storm snow to the underlying old snow or crust before stepping out into bigger terrain.  

    (11/26/2024)

    Shooting cracks in wind-drifted snow. 7,200ft, W. West fork of Cedar Creek. 

    Photo: Will Govus

Avalanche Discussion

After a mild Tuesday night,  the area saw a high overcast, periods of moderate ridgeline winds, and falling freezing levels on Wednesday.  Monday and Tuesday featured sunny skies and steep temperature inversions.   Professionals traveling in the Hairpin Valley on Tuesday didn't see any signs of instabilities in the upper snowpack or recent avalanches in the surrounding terrain.

On December 7-8th a storm started as rain before transitioning to snow.  On Sunday, observers found a foot of new snow at 6,600ft that was well-bonded to the old, moist surface and a generally strong snowpack below this interface.  Take care as you travel - many early-season obstacles, such as trees, rocks, logs, and creeks, are exposed or sometimes barely hidden underneath wind drifted surfaces. 

You can contribute to the avalanche forecast. Please let us know what you see in the mountains by submitting an observation. 

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