West Slopes South

Avalanche conditions are generally safe, but Sunday's primary hazard is navigating difficult travel below the tree canopy and on open slopes facing the sun. Slick and variable surfaces may warrant sharp tools like ski/boot crampons and an ice axe, and the risk of a long-sliding fall in sustained steep terrain persists. While sheltered, shady slopes at the mid and upper elevations hold soft recycled snow and easier travel, accessing these zones is a real bear. 

Saturday’s bright sunshine did little to soften the snow, even on steep, due-south slopes. In the neighboring Snoqualmie Pass zone, NWAC forecasters reported hard, slick surfaces, and relied on ski crampons for traction on sunny, open slopes. They observed a near-long-sliding fall—fortunately arrested by the skier. East and west-facing slopes had some breakable crust, but true south-facing slopes remained solid and hard to get an edge in. On shaded aspects, 4-6” of soft surface hoar and facets made for quite enjoyable travel, though reaching those areas was no small feat. Under the trees, conditions were slow, icy, and arduous. Even the well-worn skin track is becoming very challenging to navigate where it’s firm at best and sheet ice at worst. Recent observations, plus the same weather pattern, suggest similar conditions in the West South. Foot travel with traction devices may be the safest and most efficient choice for forested ascents. Off-trail descents through the forest are ill-advised, with frozen debris, crusts, and uneven surfaces creating significant hazards. Crampons or traction devices, even if you don't wind up donning them, are advisable—know how to use them, and plan with the risk of a long-sliding fall in mind if steep slopes are part of your route. 

Sunday marks the beginning of a multi-day warming trend. With some luck, steeper sunlit slopes might start to soften slightly, though more noticeable changes may not arrive until Monday. Areas further west in the zone, such as Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, have the best chance of appreciable softening in south-facing terrain on Sunday, while points further east near the crest and passes may not see much in the way of warmth. Regardless, multiple freezing levels and inversions will make the warming uneven, with lower and mid-elevations seeing more variability, while higher elevations have a better chance of softening. Given the prior warming during this prolonged dry spell and the magnitude of warming expected on Sunday, significant wet avalanche activity isn’t anticipated. However, keep an eye out for warning signs like rollerballs, pinwheels, or sinking into wet snow past your boot tops—if you spot these, avoid lingering on or below steep slopes and look for more shaded terrain. If a slab avalanche were to be triggered, it would likely be isolated to extreme, high-elevation terrain where old wind-drifted snow overlays the 1/10 interface. While this scenario is unlikely, it’s worth keeping in mind if your plans involve committing terrain.