Avalanche forecast

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Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Another round of strong northwesterly winds and sun will continue to make it easy to trigger avalanches. You could easily trigger avalanches on most steep slopes, but where winds form deep drifts, avalanches will be much larger. Slides may travel long distances into lower elevations.  Reduce your risk by sticking to low-angle, wind-sheltered slopes.   

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Another round of northwest wind will increase on Saturday. Even without the active loading, avalanches will be easy to trigger. Avalanches in the new storm snow may step down to the 3/8 crust, up to 3 feet below the surface. Where wind slabs formed in exposed terrain, avalanches will be much larger and easier to trigger. Avoid steep slopes with deep drifts near ridgelines and exposed alpine bowls.

     Plan your route carefully with a buffer for overhead hazard.  As winds continue to move new snow along ridgelines, natural avalanches remain a possibility.   Avalanches could run long distances and cross elevation bands. In sheltered terrain, you can use small test slopes to see how the new snow is bonding.  The sun could initiate loose avalanches, or make it easier to trigger slides on east-, through south-, through west-facing aspects. Steer around steep slopes and unsupported terrain features if you observe long shooting cracks or test slopes produce small avalanches.   

    (3/12/2026)Shooting cracks were observed in wind-drifted snow on Thursday.Photo: Will Govus

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    This storm cycle may have added enough stress to reawaken deeper instabilities in the snowpack. You're unlikely to receive feedback from the snowpack on these deeper layers as you travel, such as whumpfing or collapsing.  If you see evidence of fresh deep avalanches that broke around terrain features, that's a flashing red sign to step back to simpler terrain.  These facet/crust layers are likely down 3 or more feet in the snowpack.  While we have a lot of uncertainty about this problem, continue to factor in the lower likelihood but high consequences of an avalanche this size into your travels until we learn more. 

    (2/26/2026)

    A number of large, natural avalanches on a leeward mid-slope feature. Note blowing snow. This likely ran on a weak layer above the 2/7 crust, ~2 feet below the surface. Cutthroat Lake. E-SE, 6,600ft

Avalanche Discussion

A stormy week has delivered 2-3 feet of snow over a crust since March 8th. On Wednesday through Friday, observers reported cracking within the recent snow in both sheltered and wind-affected terrain. On Friday, observers reported extensive cracking in sheltered terrain, and easy triggering of very soft slab, and loose snow avalanches.

On Wednesday,  professionals observed a natural avalanche that released from cliffs and ran to the valley bottom in the Hairpin area.  The avalanche entrained recent storm snow above the 3/8 crust.  There's about 2-2.5' of recent storm snow above the crust in the Washington Pass area.  The 3/8 crust is widespread throughout the terrain and formed after a wet and warm period last weekend.  Dry loose avalanches have been running far on top of the crust for several days now. 

Snowpack tests in the Blue L. area on Monday, targeting the 2/7 crust and facets, did not yield any concerning results. While persistent slab avalanches have been less active lately, weak layers in the snowpack continue to hold our attention. The 2/13 facets above the 2/7 crust can still be found on a variety of aspects and elevations. 

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