Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Look for signs of wet snow instability anywhere there is consistent snow cover. Stay off and away from steep slopes where you identify wet and mushy snow, rollerballing, or fresh avalanches. Steer around cornices at ridgeline and don't linger in the terrain below them.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Saturday brings even higher temperatures, but increasing cloud cover and building southerly winds might keep warming slightly in check. Either way, look for wet, loose avalanches on steep, sun-exposed slopes. The higher sun angles of April combined with thin clouds may warm northerly aspects as well.

    Friday night’s refreeze will likely be weak or short-lived, allowing surface snow to soften quickly. Rollerballs and small wet avalanches are signs that the snow surface is getting primed to shed some snow. If you see more substantial wet avalanches, then it’s time to be more conservative and avoid travel below all large and steep slopes. 

    Example of a wet loose avalanche starting in steeper terrain above. 

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–2.5

    As above-freezing temperatures persist, the likelihood of cornice falls goes up. These large overhanging features can break without warning, especially during the heat of the day. Glide cracks and other unstable snow features on cliffs or unsupported slopes can also release with sustained warming. All of these avalanches are unlikely in the sense that they are limited in distribution. That won’t matter if you are in the way of one.

    Give cornices a wide berth when traveling along ridgelines, and don’t linger in the terrain below them.  Identify and limit travel below glide cracks and snowy cliffs. Cornice fall can often trigger a larger avalanche on the slope below. If you're heading into big alpine terrain, stay alert as to what is above you and minimize time beneath overhead hazards.

    (4/3/2025)

    Not only are large cornices looming just ahead on East Goat Mt, but cracks where one started to pull away from the ridgeline are visible just up and left of the skier. 

    Photo: Tommy

Avalanche Discussion

Observers in alpine terrain reported small, shallow wind slabs that were easy to trigger. Despite their size, they could still do damage if you get caught off guard and take an unwanted ride into consequential terrain. Use test slopes and wind-drifted features to assess reactvity. Take a minute to size things up before diving into bigger terrain where the snow is still dry and winter-like. Lower elevations generally have minimal snow.

Reported wet avalanche activity has been minimal over the past few days. While large crowns and debris piles are still out there, most are leftovers from the atmospheric river and the stretch of warm weather in late March. Overall, the upper snowpack seems to have gone through enough prior warming and settlement to hold up under this latest round of sun and mild temperatures.

Saturday looks like the last day with strong sun and significant warming. If we were going to see more—or larger—wet avalanches, that’s the day it would happen. Sunday brings more clouds and wind, but temperatures don’t drop much. Wet avalanche concerns, especially cornice falls and glide avalanches, will remain in play but with slightly lower likelihood. A bit of light rain or snow is expected, though it’s not likely to shift conditions in a meaningful way.

 

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