Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche danger is generally Low, but be mindful of very steep or unsupported slopes with recent wind drifts at upper elevations. Increasing winds may also create shallow, reactive windslabs as the day progresses. Saturday will be a great day to get out and see what's near the surface at your favorite backcountry area, before a series of storms arrive on Sunday.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Look and feel for wind stiffened snow as you travel, and gain elevation. You could still find pockets of reactive windslab at higher elevations, leftover from earlier in the week. These are unlikely to be triggered and would probably be small, but in very steep or unsupported convex type slope features you may still be able to trigger one.

    Increasing winds may also form shallow, reactive slabs in alpine terrain on Saturday. If you see wind drifting snow, sculpted surfaces or feel stiffer snow, consider the consequences of triggering a small wind slab. Once the winds do start to move snow, conditions will change quickly. This doesn't appear to happen until Sunday for most areas, however. 

    (2/23/2022)

    Cracking in skin track SE at 6800ft. Fortune Creek Drainage.

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

We've got one more day of fairly quiet weather until a series of storms begins to change the snowpack more drastically. If you get out, make note of snow surface and near-surface conditions. The very cold temperatures and some clear nights this past week have created fairly widespread surface faceting and surface hoar, potentially even on sunny slopes. You may find anywhere from 1-3ft of newer, low density snow over a thicker crust from Valentines Day. There is less new snow in the eastern half of the zone, so expect to find the older crusts near or at the surface in exposed, or lower elevation locations. On shaded aspects this crust is weaker and crumbly, on sunny slopes this crust is generally strong and thick. 

On higher elevation terrain features there is a fair amount of wind texturing, and older wind slab. Sunny slopes have thinner sun crusts, and may have surgery facets above and below. Shaded and sheltered slopes are likely to hold 'recycled powder' with very nice riding conditions. I made a trip to the North Fork of Fortune Creek in the Salmon la Sac on Wednesday, check out the observation for more information from that area. 

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