Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Terrain features with wind drifted snow are where you are most likely to encounter an avalanche on Saturday. Identify and avoid steep slopes with smooth, wind buffed surfaces or pillow-like piles of snow, particularly on convex slopes where triggering an avalanche is more likely. Soggy conditions below treeline will likely continue.

5:55am update:  Wet avalanche activity should still be an issue on Sunday with snow levels hovering near treeline. Pay attention to slopes overhead and look for signs of instability like pinwheels, rollerballs, or snow shedding from trees and rocks. Also look for glide cracks, cornices, or other unstable snow features. Don’t linger directly under steep slopes where you see any of the above. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Moderate winds - increasing to strong in the afternoon - will continue to build slabs with any fresh snow accumulating Sunday. Wind slabs are usually found just below ridgelines but you may see them in more sheltered terrain if winds are very strong. You could also find larger, more reactive slabs as you gain elevation to where there is drier snow.  

    Actively loading slopes should be fairly obvious. Also pay attention to wind affected snow surfaces and changes in snow texture to identify slopes with wind slab. Evaluate new wind slab layers using simple tests - hand shears, test slopes, skin track tests, etc.

     

    (1/7/2023)

    A human triggered wind slab avalanche that was reported today from near Mt. Rainier. Similar avalanches are possible in West Central tomorrow. 

    Photo: NWAC Public Obs

Avalanche Discussion

Yet another warmer-than-expected system moved through the area Saturday and dropped a quarter-inch of precipitation across the zone. Dry-ish snow was found above 4800’ in West North. Rain was again a fact of life below treeline. Multiple days of near-freezing temperatures have left large cornices sagging. Minimize time spent below these monsters. 

No one has been raving about snow quality the last few days but redeeming riding conditions can probably be found. Comments like “there's a few inches of cream cheese with a hint of zipper crust up high” or “it was glue-like but not sticky” might be the best way to describe the snow surface at different elevations.

 A single human triggered avalanche was reported from near Rainier. It occurred on a convex, wind loaded slope near treeline. No new avalanche activity was reported Saturday in Stevens, Snoqualmie Pass, or West North. The day prior brought a report of a large, naturally triggered slab avalanche in the Baker Backcountry. It likely occurred early Friday morning (judging by the bit of new snow over the debris). It was probably triggered by sluff or cornice fall from above. A few small wet avalanches were reported in the same area as well. 

There is currently 1-3’ of snow over the rain crust buried in late December. The upper snowpack is reported as well bonded with no layers of concern.  Instability has been limited to the most recent new snow and wind slab layers.

Regions covered