Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

With all the recent storm and the changing spring-like weather, you’ll need to manage a variety of snow and avalanche conditions. Choose routes with plenty of options that let you quickly adjust if things change or become more dangerous than anticipated. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Most locations in the West South saw some sunshine and wet avalanche activity over the past few days. This should help ease the shock of sunny skies and warmer temperatures on the snowpack on Friday. In these locations, once any crusts break down, you may be able to push piles of wet snow on very steep slopes. There could even be several natural point release slides in rocky terrain. Overall, the recent snow has been making a very slow transition for the past several days. Just don’t let these wet slides take you by surprise in very steep or consequential terrain. If the snow surface is still cold and dry, then Friday’s weather could be a rude awakening. These areas may see more and larger natural avalanche activity.

    Once you start noticing snow falling from rocks and trees, this problem is waking up. Rollerballs and natural avalanches will likely follow. This is the time to start avoiding being on or under steep sunny slopes. If you see avalanches entraining lots of recent snow and growing larger, then things are becoming even more dangerous. It's time to give similar terrain a wide berth.

    (2/10/2026)

    Example: Rollerballs as snow sheds from rocks and trees earlier this winter. Slopes like this could produce natural wet loose slides. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs across the zone are a few days old and likely becoming harder to trigger. However, as you move into higher terrain, keep this problem on your mind. Scoured slopes, sharp cornices, and fresh drifts can all point towards potentially loaded slopes. If you begin to find wind affected snow, these pockets will likely only become bigger and more common as you ascend. 

    You’re most likely to trigger one of these lingering wind slabs in very steep terrain, along the base of cliffs, and on convex rollovers. It may be difficult to tell if any specific slope will fail. Instead, look for less wind affected or lower angled slopes to enjoy the soft snow.

    (4/14/2026)

    Visual clues of wind transported snow and potentially wind loaded slopes. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

The weather varied greatly across the West South zone the past few days, making it challenging to summarize conditions. Some areas experienced substantial sunshine and warm temperatures, while others stayed cloudier and colder. Overall, the slow transition from cold and snowy to warm and sunny should help and keep the snowpack from coming apart as temperatures bump up significantly on Friday. 

Storm totals from this week range from 12-18 inches near the crest to around 2 feet on the volcanoes. Observations suggest this new snow is largely right-side-up and bonding well to the underlying crust. Below the new snow, the snowpack is generally strong and stable thanks to the 4/14 and 3/25 crusts. Until these weaken, we aren’t concerned about layers deeper in the snowpack. 

The fresh snow certainly helped travel conditions! However, it also buried many of the rocks, logs, and holes we’ve been avoiding. Coverage is still painfully thin at lower elevations and on southerly slopes. Don’t let the fresh coat of paint fool you; there are lots of obstacles out there.

Regions covered