Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Thursday should be the windiest day of the week. Take note of which way the wind is transporting snow to help you identify features that could contain Wind Slabs - they might be in areas you're not used to finding them. If you notice shallow avalanches breaking widely or wrapping around terrain features, dial back your travel plans.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind speeds should increase throughout the day and may reach the strong category in the afternoon. With plenty of low-density snow currently available for transport, don’t be surprised to find some new slabs near ridgelines or the base of cliffs. Due to the atypical wind direction, these slabs may be on some unusual aspects. Look for actively blowing snow to help identify wind-loaded features you want to avoid. Textured surfaces, fresh cornices, and sharp drifts can also help you zero in on the location of possible Wind Slabs. 

    (3/6/2023)

    Reverse loading results in Wind Slabs in some unexpected places.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

It’s been a bit like groundhog day for much of the past week around the West South zone. Patchy blue skies in the morning have given way to increasing clouds and snow showers in the afternoon. Each day winds have been just strong enough to drift a bit of snow around. A bit of a surprise on Wednesday - White Pass picked up around 6 inches of snow compared to a more modest 2-3 inches elsewhere in the zone. On Thursday, the pattern begins to change and we are anticipating the biggest wind event of the week as our next storm approaches. 

The snowpack around the zone varies in depth but is thought to be similar in that it is generally stable and right-side-up. Most recent avalanches have been shallow Wind Slabs or Loose Dry avalanches in steep terrain. On slopes that see direct sunshine, you could find some thin sun crusts in the upper snowpack due to those sunny mornings. On more shaded slopes, weak surfaces were reported earlier this week and could have become buried by those afternoon snow showers, waiting for a bigger load to activate them. That load could arrive in the coming days, so be on the lookout for shallow avalanches breaking widely or spanning terrain features. On Wednesday, similar avalanches occurred in the neighboring Mt. Hood zone as more intense snow showers impacted the area.

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