Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

With sun and warming temperatures, you could trigger wet avalanches in the recent snow as it warms. We expect most avalanches to be small, but they could be consequential in areas that received over 6 inches of snow. Stick to shaded, low-angle slopes if you find wet snow that slides easily.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Avalanches will be most likely and of consequence in the Wenatchee Mountains and east slope of the Cascades. Expect east aspects to begin warming up first, and then south and west later in the day. Look for rollerballs, tree bombs, and feel for heavy wet snow as indicators that things are starting to happen. Slides may become large on steep or rocky slopes as the day progresses and warming continues to break down the crusts in the upper part of the snowpack. Use timing to your advantage, and be ready to steer clear of steep, sun-exposed slopes if you see signs of instability.

    (3/20/2023) Older and fresh rollerballs were present along steep road cutbanks. Photo: Katie Warren

Avalanche Discussion

With a myriad of weak or slick surfaces and significant variability in snow totals from east to west, danger is likely to vary across the zone. Prepared to adjust your travel plans and move to lower-angle slopes if you see red flags of instability, such as collapsing, shooting cracks, recent avalanches, or heavy snowfall rates. At the lower elevation trailheads, precipitation may have fallen as rain.

The recent snow has piled deep over a couple of intermittent sun crusts and a pair of rain crusts from Valentine's Day, which are around 3-5ft deep. This crust extends to just below 7000ft with some weaker snow beneath it, and observations indicate wide variability in the structure and depth of this layer throughout the zone. The MLK crust is down 4-6ft and extends to higher elevations. Very large avalanches that occurred on the 10th on Cannon Mountain, Rock Mountain, and North Chiwakum may have run on one of these crusts or some other deep layer. It has been over a week since any new, very large avalanche occurrences, and we don't expect to see any additional activity on deeper, old snow layers. Still, since we have yet to definitively ID the weak layer or interfaces in these slides, it's worth considering if you step out into steep, complex, northerly alpine terrain.

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