East Slopes South

There is minimal snowpack and mountain road information for the East South zone. Plan to make your own snowpack assessments and give yourself extra time to navigate these tough, early-season conditions. Keep in mind that moisture may still be lingering in the snowpack and creating instability.

We have been able to build a clearer picture of how much snow neighboring zones have lost, but we still lack information for the East South zone. The nearby East Central zone has a distinct snow line starting around 5500 ft and continuous snow coverage starting around 6000 ft. We are guessing that the snow line in East South is a bit higher than this. It is also safe to assume that road access is as fraught as in other zones.

If you plan to journey into the mountains, keep a flexible, conscientious, and observant mindset. Give yourself extra time to negotiate adverse road and snow conditions. Be aware that many folks are still grappling with major infrastructure damage to their communities, and resources are focused accordingly. Plan to make your own snowpack assessments if you do manage to reach enough snow to recreate on.

It often takes a few days for the snowpack to dry out after a wet storm cycle. With the unprecedented amount of rain our forecast region just saw (and more on the way, unfortunately), there could still be water flowing through and under the snowpack. This lubricates bed surfaces and creates a risk for isolated chunks of snow to fall off unsupported perches. Pay attention to the terrain above you and don't cross slopes where glide cracks are visible.

It goes without saying that exposed hazards abound. Watch for shallowly buried rocks, trees, and high-flowing creeks. Recognize that even small slides can have big consequences when the snowpack is so thin. In a similar vein, slipping and falling on icy, refrozen surfaces could result in a long, uncontrolled fall. Consider carrying sharp, self-arresting equipment and make sure you know how to use it.

With the warm start to the 25-26 winter season, we have less snowpack information than usual to start daily forecast operations. For zones and elevation bands with less snow than needed for avalanche hazard, we will issue a forecast with No Rating. Anticipated avalanche and weather conditions will still be updated daily. NWAC will issue an avalanche danger rating for a zone when enough snow to produce avalanches has accumulated at middle and upper elevations.