Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Triggering a slab avalanche has become unlikely, but still use caution near upper elevation wind loaded pockets. In these areas you could still encounter isolated pockets of unstable snow.  Avoid larger slopes if you notice shooting cracks or hear audible collapses. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Recent warm temperatures and time are helping these wind slabs gain strength. However, you’ll still encounter dry snow available for transport at upper elevations and may even notice moderate wind speeds drifting snow. With this, you may still encounter pockets of unstable snow in wind-drifted areas. 

    These unstable slabs will be most common on the leeward sides of ridges, below cornices, near the tops of chutes and couloirs, and scattered throughout the alpine. All that said recent east winds may throw you a curveball, so look for these slabs in some not-so-common areas, like across terrain features (cross-loading) or even on west aspects. 

    Pay attention to the direction of wind loading and use visual surface clues to help you identify the avalanche problem. Look for sharp drifts, pillow-like slabs, or dunes at the snow surface to help you spot where the wind has been at work. These slabs could break in surprising ways if they overlay surface hoar, facets, or recently buried crusts. Use small test slopes or hand pits to gauge how reactive the slab is. Consider steering around steep wind-loaded slopes if you notice active drifting or signs of instability, such as shooting cracks or hollow-sounding snow.

    (12/1/2023)

    Use small test slopes and look for signs of instability like this before committing to steeper slopes.

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Saturday's system is not looking too exciting for the eastern cascades. You’ll likely just encounter light mixed precipitation and fortunately, some decreasing wind speeds. You may encounter slightly heavier precipiation west of Bumping Lake. Elevations below 6000 ft have been warming above freezing in the past days, so you may encounter variable travel and a crust on solar aspects. 

Observations have been sparse across the East South, but observers in neighboring zones have reported signs of instability in wind-drifted snow. On 12/27, the Crystal Mtn Pro Patrol reported shooting cracks and intentionally triggering small wind slabs. You may find similar conditions at upper elevations, especially in the western parts of the zone, like Darland Mountain or the Bumping Lake area. On Thursday, observers in the East Central zone reported warming conditions and moist snow extending to 5500 ft on S-SE aspects. 

Lower elevations still have very little snow. As you travel, keep an eye out for shallowly buried hazards that could ruin the rest of your season. 

You can contribute to the forecast! Let us know what you found by submitting an observation HERE. 

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