Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Triggering a large avalanche in wind drifted snow remains possible on Sunday. You can reduce your odds by steering around slopes with stiff, wind drifted snow at the surface. As the day progresses, small loose avalanches may peel off steep, sunny slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The likelihood of triggering a 1-2 foot thick soft or hard wind slab is decreasing, but if you get unlucky with a hard slab, they could pack a punch. Hard slabs are notorious for providing less feedback and can often break in surprising ways. With this in mind, you’ll want to limit your exposure to slopes that may have this structure. You’ll want to use visual observations such as wind-textured surfaces, recent cornice formation, and recent natural avalanche activity to help you avoid this problem.

    Be suspicious of terrain that can collect drifted snow, such as the leeward sides of ridges , below cornices and cliff-bands, or on the rollover of steep slopes in open terrain.  The best strategy is to give steep, unsupported slopes with signs of recent drifting a few days to heal up before recreating in steep terrain. 

    (12/27/2025)

    A small avalanche in more sheltered terrain in the White Pass Backcountry. East aspect, 5800 feet.

    Photo: Sam Clairmont

  • Loose Wet

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

    Clearing skies and rising freezing levels could set the stage for small loose avalanches along steep solar slopes. These may not be big, but you may start seeing these peel off of steep, rocky slopes. Rollerballs and pinwheels are indicators that larger wet loose avalanches could soon follow. Avoid similar slopes if you notice these warming induced signs of instability. 

    (12/27/2025)

    As the day warmed up, new, low density snow was easily easily weakened by the sunshine in the East North zone. 

    Photo: Adam Butterfield

Avalanche Discussion

Friday night and Saturday brought anywhere from 6-12 inches of low density snow to the East South mountains. Unfortunately, very strong west winds also accompanied these accumulations and built dense slabs of wind drifted snow across the region. Expect these slabs to be larger and more widespread closer to the Cascade Crest, which received more recent snowfall. There are no observations from the East South, but backcountry travelers in the neighboring west south zone did report signs of instability in wind drifted snow and one human-triggered avalanche that resulted in a caught and carry near Crystal Mountain (observation here). Observers near White Pass, also reported a couple thin, but wide slabs that broke within the new storm snow. 

Snowpack depths likely range from 20 inches to upwards of 50 inches closer to the Cascade Crest at middle elevations. You'll likely find a cohesive slab of snow over a prominent crust from the warm-up on 12/18. Observations from the nearby East Central zone point to a good bond between the slab and crust, but multiple explosive triggered avalanches this past week in the Crystal mountain indicate the opposite. 

Lower elevations are most likely still quite shallow, making skiing or riding off the road tricky. Watch for shallowly buried rocks, trees, and high-flowing creeks. These hazards can appreciably increase the consequences of getting caught in even a small avalanche. 

State and local resources are working diligently to reduce the impacts of destructive storms that occurred earlier this month. We can help by respecting affected communities, complying with road closures, and adhering to ski area uphill travel policies.

You can help us out! Submit an observation on the avyapp or here.

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