East Slopes South

Cooling temperatures and minimal precipitation should help the snowpack heal quickly on Thursday. While avalanche hazards are few, you could encounter challenging travel conditions, including minimal snow cover at lower elevations.

If it feels like whiplash to go from wet and dangerous conditions to cold and “generally safe,” we’re with you. Thursday will be a bit of a transition as temperatures fall and snow returns.

The colder weather should all but eliminate concerns about wet avalanche problems. However, you could see a random block of snow shed from a wet rocky face. Or, maybe you could push some slushy snow down a very steep, smooth slope. In both cases, these tiny slides shouldn’t go far and only hurt you if they knock you into a creek or over a cliff. 

Up high, new snow will slowly accumulate. By the end of the day, you might find a small pocket of wind-drifted snow. These tiny wind slabs shouldn't pose much risk. Just keep your eye out along ridges and exposed features. The size of these small slides isn’t the danger; it’s if they carry you over some nasty obstacle. 

The greatest hazard on Thursday could come from challenging travel conditions. Bare ground, roaring creeks, shallow snow cover, holes near rocks, exposed obstacles, and breakable crust could all make a simple outing a big adventure. 

This week’s weather was wild all across the Cascades. Several inches of water fell in the mountains, most as rain. Snowpacks built and washed away. We still don’t know the full impact of the storm in the East South zone. Many nearby areas lost 50% of their snow depth at mid-eleavitons. If you’re out, let us know what you see by submitting an observation.