Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

We’re in the middle of a spring transition period for the snowpack on all aspects and elevations. That means, even though you’ll likely find generally safe avalanche conditions, you could trigger very small loose wet slides, especially in steep rocky terrain. Be leery of steep slopes where you find wet and punchy snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Warm weather, periods of sunshine, and poor overnight freezes continue to maintain a wet and sometimes weak upper snowpack in the East South zone. So, if you’re going to trigger an avalanche it’s likely because of this issue. When you find wet surface snow deeper than your ankle, be suspicious of nearby steep slopes. You’re most likely to see these conditions around rocky locations or in terrain receiving direct sunshine. Consider seeking out lower angled or less consequential areas. Fortunately, any of these slides should stay very small and not pose much of a risk unless they knock you off a cliff or into rocks. 

    With this spring transition, sometimes snow simply falls down. Cornices can collapse and snow may shed from rocky faces. Obviously, you don’t want to be under these features if it happens. So, pay attention to the terrain above you and don’t linger underneath these potential hazards.

    (3/25/2022)

    Example: Snow shedding from a rocky slope at nearby White Pass Friday.

    This natural wet avalanche occurred mid-day on 3/25 during a period of warm weather and filtered sunshine.  [E 6700']

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Warm and cloudy weather may cause the snowpack to struggle to freeze again Sunday night. This could be the 3rd night in a row for some areas. So, while you may find a breakable crust in the morning, expect wet snow concerns right off the bat. 

The biggest limiting factor for avalanche hazard in the East South zone continues to be the lack of snow. Even where it’s deeper, the upper snowpack above the stout Early March Crust remains shallow. As a result, it's hard for avalanches to gain enough mass to pose much of a danger. Instead, simply gaining access to higher elevation terrain could be your biggest challenge. You may need to use summer roads and trails to get to deeper snow. While most lower elevation and southerly slopes have already gone bare, deeper snowpacks seem to continue to hang on near Bumping Ridge and Mt Aix. If you travel to these locations, know that we have a higher degree of uncertainty about snowpack stability because we have not received any recent observations.

Regions covered