Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avoid travel on or below steep slopes where you see fresh rollerballs, avalanches, or where the snow is sloppy and wet. If you start seeing widespread natural or human triggered avalanche activity, assume HIGH danger and avoid areas were avalanches can start, run, or stop.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Unstable wet snow conditions will continue through Friday. Variable weather throughout the day will make it difficult to anticipate when natural avalanches may occur. Expect alternating periods of slightly cooler temperatures and continued snowfall, followed by warmer conditions, a transition to light rain, and an increasing likelihood of wet avalanches.

    Wet avalanches are most likely on slopes below steep rocky headwalls, cliffs, and in treed terrain, but any steep slope should be treated with suspicion—especially during rain or periods of rapid warming. Both human- and naturally triggered avalanches are likely.

    (1/29/2026)

    Fresh wet loose avalanche on the north side of Table Mt above Iceberg Lake. Northwest aspect at 5300'.

    (WL-N-D2-S)

    Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mountain Rescue

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong winds will continue to move snow and build wind slabs at upper elevations, even as wet storm conditions and poor visibility limit travel into this terrain. Where slabs form, they sit on an older crust that has had two weeks to facet and weaken, creating a questionable interface. With limited visibility, assume wind loading is occurring even if it’s hard to see.

    The main concern is large, natural avalanches driven by continued wind loading at upper elevations. Avoid travel below big, open slopes connected to upper-elevation terrain where natural avalanches could initiate and run far.

    Blowing snow off ridgelines means the slopes below are likely loading up.

Avalanche Discussion

Dry January may be over, but Wet Almost-February isn’t shaping up to be much better. Heather Meadows picked up around 12 inches of wet new snow over the past day and a half from roughly 2.5 inches of precipitation. Snow levels rose from just below 4,000 feet on Wednesday into the mid elevations on Thursday, accompanied by persistent strong southerly winds.

The warming temperatures and transition to light rain coincided with a cycle of natural wet avalanches that entrained significant snow and reached D2 in size. Many were observed on all aspects at mid elevations around the Baker Backcountry. Wind-drifted terrain features produced minor cracking during the morning, but any slab reactivity quickly diminished as temperatures rose.  Riding conditions were described as not good or "terrible". At least the crust is getting covered.

Precipitation and new snow amounts—and therefore the number and size of wet avalanches—varied widely, as is typical with strong southerly flow. The Baker Backcountry and the south side of Mount Baker received similar precipitation totals, while most other weather stations reported only a quarter to half that amount. In all areas, new snow is accumulating at mid and upper elevations over a crust that previously capped the snowpack.

The remaining question is whether faceting at the old crust surface could contribute to the release of large slab avalanches. Faceting has been observed on shaded aspects, but its distribution has been inconsistent. Rain at low and mid elevations will likely dampen or destroy any remaining facets beneath the new snow. Colder terrain at upper elevations and farther east in the zone is where faceted layers may be best preserved and capable of producing larger avalanches.

Regions covered