Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Another warm day with a little bit of rain will keep the avalanche danger at moderate for wet snow avalanches. Your largest concerns are avalanches failing under gaping glide cracks or other precariously perched blocks of snow along ridgelines and on rocky features. Avoid traveling beneath these features, as you don't want to be under them at the moment that they fail. 

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

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

    The West Central zone has received 1.5-3 inches of water in the last few days, most of which has fallen as rain. We're getting another few tenths of an inch Thursday night. Most avalanches likely ran their course Tuesday night, when temperatures and incoming water amounts first spiked. However, prolonged warm, wet weather gives us enough concern that we don't quite feel good about letting the danger drop to low.

    Lingering wet avalanche concerns are most likely to present as glide avalanches. These exist as a low probability, yet high consequence scenario. Friday probably isn't a good day to travel beneath any gaping glide cracks. You never know when one of these cracks may release and avalanche, and after several days of warm, wet weather this isn't the time to push your luck. 

    Search for other overhead hazards as you travel, such as cornices and other snow deposits perched in precarious, unsupported locations above you. These also might randomly come down, and could possibly entrain more snow or even trigger an avalanche on steep slopes beneath. Avoid these areas. If you're ever in a situation where you're punching well past your ankles into wet snow, consider avoiding slopes greater than 35°.

    Example photo: Large glide cracks like this one are features you want to avoid traveling beneath on Friday. 

Avalanche Discussion

If you make it to upper elevations you may find a little bit of low density dry snow over Wednesday's crust. There isn't likely to be enough new snow to produce dry snow avalanches. 

The recent rain left us with moist snow down to the 12/7 crust, which is 2-4ft below the surface at mid elevations. Beneath the 12/7 crust the snowpack was already moist from the previous rain that fell in most areas. There may be some spots near the top of our upper elevation band where dry snow exists somewhere in the snowpack. Once we get another good freeze these layers will provide a great base for additional snowfall that we'll hopefully be getting soon enough. 

We're now seeing rain runnels at the snow surface. Snow is likely supportable for most forms of travel. However, snow may be sticky, and a breakable crust could exist in some areas, making travel more challenging. 

If you make it into the backcountry, whether you see avalanches or not, we'd love to hear from you. Please share with us so that we can write better avalanche forecasts for you and other backcountry users in the zone. You can submit an observation HERE, or by using our app, Avy. 

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