Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

With a shortage of recent observations, it’s up to you to assess the stability of new snow layers. You might find avalanche danger higher than advertised depending on where you head in the mountains, especially at upper elevations. Default to lower angle slopes with less wind exposure to reduce the risk of triggering an avalanche. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    There’s enough new snow and wind to blow it around, but the reactivity of recently formed slabs is mostly unknown. Are they bonding well? Still reactive? Formed over the old snow surface of weak facets or surface hoar? 

    Look for instability in all terrain using test slopes, hand shears, or anything else you can think of to test the bond of new snow layers. Whumphing, shooting cracks and recent avalanches are all signs you'll probably trigger an avalanche if you head into steeper terrain.

    Dig around in the new snow to look for a stronger over weaker layer. Snowpits and testing might reveal buried surface hoar or weak facets but should be dug in representative terrain. Be prepared to find different layering - and maybe a greater chance of triggering an avalanche - as you gain elevation and change aspects. 

    There is always a better chance of triggering a slab avalanche on steep and convex slopes.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Continued near and above-freezing temperatures will keep the hazard of wet avalanches in play on Saturday. While any wet avalanches you see should be very small, they can still do some harm in minimally snow-covered, low-elevation terrain full of creek holes, rocks, etc. Don’t linger on or directly under steep slopes where you observe rollers, small wet avalanches, or find wet, unconsolidated snow.

Observations were very limited on Friday with many folks sticking to sheltered terrain close to the trailhead. One group in the Baker BC reported no new avalanches, but visibility was poor in that area. No buried surface hoar or facets were identified below the new snow. Overall, mid-elevations were quite mild but 6” of snowfall still accumulated at Heather Meadows.

It would be nice to say that warm temperatures and wet new snow rounded out, melted, and generally beat down the surface hoar and facets. In warmer, mid-elevation areas that appears to be the case. Real alpine terrain usually sees stronger winds and weak snow is often scattered or destroyed at the surface before it snows. The question marks about weak layering are probably in the 5000’ to 6500’ range, especially in areas that tend to stay colder like Canyon Creek or farther east in the forecast zone along Hwy 20.

Regions covered