Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Until the rain stops and temperatures drop below freezing, dangerous avalanche conditions will exist. The threat of wet slides traveling far distances downslope without warning should shape your travel plans. If you're planning on going out in the rain, make travel plans that put a sizable buffer between you and large avalanche paths.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Large to very large wet avalanches are now the main concern in the West South zone. We're talking about wet slabs and glides, which are unpredictable, can travel long distances to valley bottoms, and would have dire consequences if you were to get caught up in one.

    You will likely still see some wet loose out there, starting at a point and gaining mass as they move downhill. Regardless of the avalanche character, any slide has the potential to gouge down into last week's storm snow, creating dense, powerful, and difficult to escape avalanches.

    Your best bet continues to be limiting the amount of time you spend below large open slopes, sagging cornices, or rocky ledges with snow clinging to them. This includes being aware of terrain far above you and limiting your exposure to terrain traps.

    (3/18/2026)

    A drone shot of wet slab avalanches in the Crystal Mountain area.  These large, unpredictable slides could travel far distances and gouge into last week's storm snow.

    Photo: Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol

Avalanche Discussion

On Wednesday, we received our first confirmation of wet slab avalanches in the West South zone. Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol spotted a few in closed terrain while using a drone to assess the area. The failure date is unknown, but it was most certainly the last day or two. 

So, where does that leave us moving forward? We have limited observations zone-wide, but we know the scales have started to tip toward bigger, scarier slides. With rain expected to persist for a few more days, the threat of these unpredictable and dangerous slides will remain. You won't be warned before one happens, and it could run toward valley bottoms, growing very large in the process. Although we sometimes forecast these low-likelihood, high-consequence events at Moderate danger, this seems like a time to lean into the travel advice and recognize that dangerous conditions exist in the mountains. 

South of Highway 12, the zone has largely escaped the bulk of the rain, but not the warmth. Webcam imagery from Mount St. Helens indicates significant snow loss, and small wet loose slides are visible. You may want to check out the Mount Hood forecast to get a feel for conditions on the southern volcanoes.

This has been an unusual rain event, even for an area that's accustomed to rain-on-snow. You know what they say, unusual weather can lead to unusual avalanches. As a precautionary measure, you may want to consider avoiding all avalanche terrain - anywhere an avalanche can start, run, or stop.

Regions covered