Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

While generally safe conditions exist you may find unstable wet snow in very steep terrain features at mid and lower elevations. Steer around steep rollovers, gullies, cliffs, and other terrain features that might increase the consequences if you are caught in even a small wet avalanche. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Weather stations throughout the East South zone reached temperatures well above freezing on Wednesday, and Sedge Ridge recorded a temperature of 51 degrees. Temperatures are forecasted to cool slightly, and snow levels may lower to 4500ft. If temperatures warm and crusts break down in the afternoon, you can still trigger wet loose avalanches in very steep terrain. If you see roller balls or small test slopes show wet snow that gains momentum and additional snow as it flows downhill, steer around steep terrain features.

    (1/10/2022)

    The snowpack at lower elevations has already seen some rain and should be well suited to take on what this next storm has to offer. Here we see small Wet Loose avalanches on a cut bank that occurred during a period of rain on 1/10.

    Photo: Andrew Kiefer

Avalanche Discussion

Although we found a generally strong and stable snowpack in this location, the East South is a large and variable zone. Neighboring zones have a very different snowpack structure, and you could find that areas at the highest elevations or near the northern and western parts of our zone are more fragile than what was reported on Tuesday. Sunday's information from NWAC forecasters near White Pass confirms that conditions are much different near the crest. Take the time to do your homework in the area you are recreating, and be sure you are not missing any red flag signs of instability before stepping into consequential terrain.

 

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