Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

We have seen dynamic weather throughout this week, as is typical for this late in the Spring, creating overlapping avalanche problems in a wide variety of terrain. As the day warms up on Friday, anticipate increasing wet snow instability as well as lingering slabs of wind-drifted snow in exposed terrain. Have a plan that allows you to easily move to lower-angle or more shaded terrain if you don’t like what you see.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    The likelihood of this problem increases as the warm, sunny day progresses. Surface crusts formed overnight will break down most rapidly on slopes exposed to direct sunshine. Watch for surfaces that feel increasingly dense and sticky. Chunks of snow falling from terrain features or rollerballs tumbling down from your equipment are a sure sign of increasing instability as well. These avalanches should be limited in size, but they could run far on an underlying crust. You can reduce your risk by traveling earlier in the day or heading to shadier slopes. Be sure you have the option to travel on more stable slopes later in the day as you're making your way back to the trailhead.

    (4/15/2026)

    An intentionally triggered wind slab that entrained additional wet loose snow on its way down.

    Photo: Payton Schiff

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The likelihood of triggering a wind slab avalanche is trending towards unlikely, but we're not out of the weeds yet. Wind slabs were reactive as recently as Wednesday, and additional snow and wind blew through the zone on Thursday. Slabs will be thicker and more reactive as you gain elevation and enter into alpine terrain or as you approach the Cascade Crest, which has seen higher accumulations. They could fail either on a mid-storm layer or on a crust buried 1-2 feet below. If triggered, they could entrain wet loose snow on their way down and grow bigger than anticipated.

    Wind slabs typically form just below exposed ridgelines and within gully walls (cross-loading). Use visual clues to determine where slabs may still lurk downslope, such as textured/uneven surfaces and recently formed drifts/cornices. It's unlikely you'll get clear signs of instability, such as shooting cracks, blowing snow, and recent slab avalanches, at this point. You can reduce your risk by choosing smaller slopes with less exposed hazards below, or avoid this problem entirely by steering around exposed, wind-affected slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Give overhanging masses of snow a wider berth, both from above and below.

Avalanche Discussion

Earlier in the week, the western parts of East Central picked up 9-12 inches of new snow, accompanied by strong wind from the west. These same areas collected another few inches on Wednesday night. Areas to the east were largely rain-shadowed throughout the week, minimizing precipitation and subsequent avalanche hazard.

An NWAC forecaster traveling in the Teanaway on Wednesday triggered several small wind slab avalanches that failed on mid-storm interfaces and one that notably broke on the 4/14 crust about 12 inches deep. They also observed natural wind slab avalanches triggered by cornice fall. All triggered and natural avalanches were on E aspects between 6-6500f ft. They also noted blowing snow and sunbreaks that would stiffen the surface snow on sunny slopes. 

The recent snow has seen increasing sunshine and warmth with each day, including Friday. This "slow bake" of the snowpack leaves a lot of questions in its wake regarding instability, but you don't need to get overcooked with details. Whatever outing you have planned for Friday, be sure to have an exit strategy that keeps you out of avalanche terrain where warmed, weakened snow may fall. This includes terrain where wind-affected snow influenced by warming can fail. Don't get yourself backed into a corner by having to descend a hot, south facing slope at 4:00 in the afternoon, for example. There are plenty of exposed hazards in the terrain right now, thanks to our meager winter, so consider the consequences of getting caught up in even a small avalanche.

There isn't much of a snowpack left at lower elevations, and sunny aspects like west and south are looking bare well into the mid-elevations. Consider packing trail shoes for traveling over dry ground to reach a more robust snowpack at upper elevations. 

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