Avalanche forecast

Olympics

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

When things warm up, snow falls down, and we have plenty of warm and wet weather in store. Watch for big blobs of snow falling out of trees and off rocks, These snow bombs could hurt you on their own or trigger slides on the slopes below.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    We aren’t expecting a huge wet loose cycle or particularly touchy conditions, but the warm wet weather probably won’t play nice with all the recent snow. Mostly, we’re expecting snow to just shed from trees and rocks. This is a hazard in its own right. However, if the surface gets wet and sticky, it could also result in loose avalanches. If you see new rollerballs or small point release slides, expect additional avalanches in similar terrain. 

    There are two factors in our favor. The sun crust on southerly slopes and wind affected snow in exposed terrain will help fend off the wet, unstable snow. But how long will they last? It’s probably a function of how much rain you get. In the wettest locations, we could see all manor or wet avalanche problems including glides and maybe even wet slabs.

    (1/2/2026)

    Example: Small rollerballs show the snow surfaces was a little wet and sticky. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche Fatality: On Friday, January 9th, four backcountry skiers were caught and carried by a large avalanche while descending near Longs Pass in the Teanaway River drainage. The slide occurred on an S to SE facing slope at approximately 6200ft. One member of the party was not buried. Another teammate was partially buried but injured. The other two individuals were fully buried. During the initial rescue, the team located one of the buried victims, who did not survive. Despite the group's best efforts, they could not pinpoint the fourth member of their team. The party contacted 911 via a satellite device, and Kittitas County Search and Rescue responded to the area on Friday evening. Additional rescue efforts were postponed until daylight. Search and Rescue then returned to the site on Saturday and were joined by NWAC forecasters. The teams were able to locate the remaining victim. Unfortunately, neither of the fully buried skiers survived. Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of those involved in this avalanche accident.  S-SE aspect, 6200ft, Avg Depth 2ft, HS-AS-R3-D2.5-O

Well, that wonderful wintery snow couldn’t last forever. Rain is already falling in the Olympics, and it’s not going to really let up for a few days. BOOO!  Initially, there may be a few pockets of cold dry snow still clinging to the highest peaks, but it’s going to take some serious work to get up there. 

On Saturday, reports from the ONP rangers indicated plenty of wind drifting snow filling in roads, skin tracks, and areas between trees. It's obvious the wind did some damage this past week. There’s likely some lingering wind slabs on lee slopes. It’s possible the rain could trigger these potential avalanches, or they could just glue into place. 

Overall, we’re only concerned with the snow over the next crust. If you dig take a moment to look for weakness at the base of the recent snow.

Regions covered