Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Dangerous and unpredictable wet avalanches will remain likely as temperatures continue to warm. This isn't an easy problem to manage, so simply avoid steep terrain where you sink deeply into heavy, wet snow. Do not linger in gullies or beneath large avalanche paths, as avalanches may run long distances from terrain far above you.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–3

    Wet slabs are unpredictable, so if you're traveling in the mountains, make sure you are aware of any overhead hazards from the terrain above. Travel quickly through runouts and gullies where large avalanches can channelize and run long distances into lower elevations. Deep, widely propagating avalanches are most likely in locations near Hart's Pass and farther east in the zone where the snowpack is shallower and weaker. Cornice failure and glide avalanches involving the entire season's snowpack should also be on your radar. Don't linger below deep, open glide cracks and overhung cornices. 

    While an initial round of avalanches occurred with rain and warming on Sunday and Monday, upper elevations likely stayed as snow. This will change as temperatures continue to warm on Tuesday. The dry and layered snowpack had multiple weak interfaces, especially the January Drought Layer. So, as water percolates deeper into the snowpack, large and unpredictable wet slab avalanches become increasingly likely. 

    Wet slabs aren’t the only issues. You may trigger wet loose slides on steep slopes. These avalanches should be smaller, but with so much heavy snow, they might grab you and not let go. Stick to lower angle and treed terrain to stay out of their grasp.

    (3/2/2025)

    A wet slab avalanche ran thousands of vertical feet and crossed the Hart's Pass road in the East North zone earlier this month.

    Photo: Katie Warren

Avalanche Discussion

While every wet avalanche cycle plays out slightly differently, this specific setup seems quite similar to late February, when a rider was killed in an avalanche near Hart's Pass. The snowpack near Washington Pass and farther west in the zone is stronger this time around, even so, the extent of the rain and warming could easily bring this problem back to life. The northern and eastern areas of the zone with a shallow, weaker snowpack will be particularly susceptible to warming and rain. 

All of these complexities are on our minds as we enter a third day of warming. Frequently, the third day of sustained above-freezing temperatures comes with unpredictable surprises. While the day might look and feel much nicer with less rain and the potential for sunshine, there is still a high likelihood of avalanches, especially wet slabs. Consider the significant consequences of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time if an avalanche runs into lower elevations from above. Choose your terrain wisely, paying attention to the terrain even thousands of vertical feet above you. With no overnight re-freeze of the snowpack, expect challenging travel in deep, wet snow on Tuesday. 

Before warming and rain the January Drought Layer was buried 2–3.5 ft, and shallower east of Mazama. Near Rainy and Easy Passes, the JDL is over 4 feet deep and capped with a thick melt-freeze crust. The JDL has rounded and gained strength in many parts of the zone. However, in the past week, observers have continued to report snowpack tests that have produced sudden and propagating results on Silver Star Mountain and near Harts Pass. On March 17, an observer near Tiffany Mountain reported widely propagating recent natural avalanches and rolling collapses on a weak layer in the middle to lower half of the snowpack. Then, on March 22nd, another observer documented a recent natural slab avalanche near Mt. Tiffany that we believe was released on the JDL. Warm temperatures and rain make avalanches on these weak layers more likely. 

NWAC Forecasters visited the site of the avalanche fatality near Harts Pass that occurred on 2/28. The full accident report is published and can be found HERE. 

Submit an observation to the website or the Avy App to help NWAC Forecasters reduce uncertainty. It can be short, simple, and even anonymous. 

Regions covered