Avalanche Forecast

Tuesday should be another warm and at least initially sunny day. Most areas do not have sufficient loose surface snow to become wet and easily available for wet snow avalanches. However, in isolated areas the best window for small wet loose avalanches on steeper solar slopes should occur in the late morning or mid-day before increasing high clouds and SW winds diminish the already small likelihood. 

Cornices are not listed as an expected problem, but may begin to weaken during the warmest part of the day. It's the time of year to be extra aware of the hazards cornices pose travelling along or below ridgelines. 

Due to the low snowpack, especially below treeline, watch for terrain hazards such as open creeks, partially covered rocks and vegetation. Many areas below treeline do not have enough snow (new or existing) to pose an avalanche hazard.

As the last snowfall in the Cascades is becoming a fading memory, occurring near the end of February when about 8-13 inches fell near and above treeline west of the crest from Snoqualmie Pass to Mt Rainier with less elsewhere along the west slopes. This was followed by locally strong northeast winds in the Cascades. Local wind slab formed and was observed mainly in the Crystal and Mt. Rainier backcountry. 

Sunny and gradually warmer weather has been seen the first third of March helping to stabilize local wind slab from the end of February and further consolidate the snowpack. Recent reports throughout the Cascades generally indicate hard or firm melt-freeze crusts or stable old snow still preserved on non-solar aspects at elevation. There was almost no snowfall in January and February and none so far in March. The snowpack at lower elevations is meager and way below normal. There have not been any reports of significant avalanches for a long time. 

The mid and lower snowpack west of the crest snow consists of layers of stable consolidated rounded grains or melt forms and crusts from multiple warm periods this winter.