Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

There has likely been just enough snow and wind that you'll need to manage a few slabs as you ascend in elevation on Tuesday. Look for them on convex features or near rocky chutes. Make plans that give you the flexibility to negotiate a wide range of travel hazards. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    The snow is slowly trickling into the West South, particularly on the volcanoes. With strong winds on Monday, shallow slabs may have formed at upper elevations. These wind slabs should be small and pose Tuesday's only real avalanche danger. Due to the E-SE wind direction, you could find these pillow-like pockets in some odd locations. Look for textured surfaces and sharp wind-lips to identify loaded features. They may sometimes be hidden beneath an inch or two of fresh snow. This will require you to feel for changes in the snow density as you travel. A slick underlying crust means they could fail easily and run far distances despite their small size.

    (2/5/2024)

    Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol reported shallow wind slabs in rocky chutes on Monday. 

    Photo: Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol

Avalanche Discussion

Monday was a windy day around the West South zone, and in some locations, kinda snowy. We'll be generous and say that 2-3 inches fell across the zone as winds maxed out in the 40s. The largest benefactors were the southern volcanoes, but even areas further north added to their depth over the Early February Crust. At Crystal Mountain, the Pro Patrol reported shallow slabs in steep rocky chutes were poorly bonded to the underlying surface. Expect another couple of inches to fall by Tuesday evening.

Prior to Monday, 1-3 inches of snow was found over the Early February Crust. In some locations, weak surface hoar and near surface facets were reported. These weak grains could prevent Monday and Tuesday's snow from bonding well, much like the report from Crystal indicated. 

We are not concerned about any layers below the Early February crust at this time. Although you may still be able to find the Solstice Crust and other interfaces, they should be sufficiently bridged for the time being. Time will tell if they wake up later this season. 

Most observations mention challenging travel conditions due to last week's atmospheric river event. They run the gamut of punchy wet snow, breakable crust, firm and icy crusts, refrozen avalanche debris, open holes, gushing creeks, and large glide cracks. Give yourself extra time and bring the right tools to manage these conditions if you're out playing on Tuesday. 

We're still interested in cataloging avalanches from that atmospheric river event. If you come across large debris piles or crowns, send us a photo and tell us where you found them. 

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