Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You’ll find generally safe avalanche conditions until you climb above the snowline. Above the snow line, triggering small pockets of wind-drifted snow will be possible on the leeward sides of ridges or in steep rocky areas. Recent freezing rain, combined with a thin snowpack, will create challenging travel conditions. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Above the snow line, you’ll likely need to start thinking about newly forming wind slabs. Most will be small and isolated, but slab reactivity may vary from slope to slope depending on what they formed over. In many areas, these slabs will likely build over a rain crust from the New Year's. But that may not be the case on more shaded, upper elevations where dry snow survived the recent warm-up.

    You can use small test slopes or snowpack tests to gauge how the overlying slab is bonding to the old snow surface. Look for blowing snow and freshly forming drifts to help you identify wind loaded terrain. If you feel the surface snow getting stiffer, it's time to stick to gentler slopes. Cracks shooting out from your feet or machine are an obvious sign that you've found a wind slab.

    (12/29/2025)

    Look for wind textured surfaces and ripples to help you identify where the wind has been at work. 

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Its been a sloppy, wet pattern across the East South mountains. Temperature inversions have created challenging travel conditions and a freezing-rain crust that may extend into the mid-elevations. Wet avalanche concerns are largely a thing of the past, but I would still use caution on steep slopes if you notice yourself punching deeply into wet snow or if you see rollerballs or small, wet sluffs fanning under your sled or feet. 

Upper elevations have been exposed to many days of above-freezing temperatures but have likely remained dry on shaded aspects. Observations from the nearby East Central report dry snow surfaces at upper elevations in the Stuart Range and shallowly buried weak surfaces in the far eastern Wenatchee Mountains (observation here). The big question is, did these weak surfaces just get buried in the East South? Maybe, or maybe not. It's hard to say, but regardless, it's a good reason to dig down and check before riding in steep, open terrain. 

Subtle changes in aspect, elevation, or canopy cover can significantly affect overall depth and riding conditions. Snowpack depths likely range widely across the East South. Expect a lean snowpack of roughly 20-30 inches in the eastern mountains and more robust 50-60 inches closer to the Cascade Crest. Where the snowpack is thin, downed trees, open creeks, and grabby bushes make getting to deeper snowpacks a challenge. Plan extra time into your day to navigate these obstacles.

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