Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
No rating
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Highlights

As the day heats up, the likelihood of encountering wet snow avalanches will increase rapidly. There is also the chance of triggering older slabs of wind drifted snow in exposed terrain at upper elevations. Although most avalanches will be small, traumatic injury is more likely with any avalanche involvement due to thin snow coverage. Lower elevations lack sufficient snow coverage for avalanche hazard to exist.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Saturday will be sunny and hot, making this problem possible on even northerly aspects. Chunks of snow and rollerballs will start falling from trees, rocks, and your own equipment as you travel around. Avoid steep, sun exposed slopes when you start seeing natural avalanches, and limit your time spent under cliffbands where snow could fall down from. Manage your sluff as you descend by using more deliberate, slow travel away from terrain traps where snow will entrain. Pause to let sluff pass if it's growing too big, or if you need to change direction. This problem is less likely on south and west aspects at all elevations due to minimal or non-existent snow coverage. Although unlikely to bury you, wet snow is harder to escape from, and a small avalanche could carry you into hazards below.

    (2/24/2026)

    A flurry of of avalanches initiating from very steep, rocky areas and ski tracks on sunny slopes.

    Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mtn Rescue

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Aging slabs of wind drifted snow sit on slick crusts in most places, but can also be over weak, faceted snow as well. Because of this, instability is lingering longer than usual. Expect deeper slabs on northern and eastern aspects due to recent strong west winds. You may encounter very thin slabs at middle elevations that would be categorized more as "wind skins".

    Wind slabs most often form just below ridgelines or along gully walls (cross-loading). Look for textured/uneven surfaces and recent cornice/wind lip formation, which will tell you that the wind previously moved snow around in that area. It's becoming less likely that you'll see long shooting cracks or natural avalanches indicating instability prior to dropping into anything steep. You can limit your exposure to this problem by steering around big, steep downwind slopes and exposed, convex terrain features.

    (3/1/2026)

    A small wind slab near Darland Ridge from earlier in the season. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

The cloud forecast was a bust on Friday, as it often is in the Spring. With more cloud coverage over most of the zone, minimal wet loose avalanche activity occurred. There is significantly more certainty that Saturday will be the big warm-up needed to really get recently fallen snow moving. Thankfully, the size will be limited to only the snow sitting over the very robust 3/25 crust.

An NWAC Forecaster around Bumping Lake on Friday reported very patchy snow coverage and rugged travel to 5200 ft. Contrary to telemetry data, they reported only 1 inch of recent snow over the 3/25 crust at middle elevations. It is possible that more snow exists at upper elevations, and they observed signs of wind drift here.

On Thursday, an NWAC Forecaster in East Central found small but reactive wind slab and dry loose avalanche conditions. Both problem types released on either the 3/25 crust or a small layer of near surface facets above the crust. Similar conditions were observed on both Thursday and Friday throughout the West South and Snoqualmie zones, with widely breaking slabs around Crystal, White Pass, and Alpental Valley.

The 3/25 crust is creating slick travel conditions, especially in the morning before the snowpack has softened. Consider bringing traction and self-arrest tools if you plan to access steeper terrain. It's also worth giving yourself some extra time to access and exit the mountains.

The prolonged warm spell in March decimated the already struggling East South snowpack. Below 5,000 ft, snow coverage is too limited for avalanche danger at this time—so we’re issuing a No Rating for lower elevations. You can still find rideable snow at middle and upper elevations on most aspects. 

Are you heading out? We could use the observations in this zone. Let us know what you see by submitting an observation here or on the AvyApp.

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