Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

If you make it up high in the zone, watch out for small pockets of wind-drifted snow. You could find these in some unusual spots along exposed ridges and summits. Lower in the terrain, expect generally safe avalanche conditions.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    You’ll probably need to get into the more alpine areas (>7000ft) to find any wind slab issues. At these elevations, the snow should be much drier. Flip-flopping winds from the past week may have left a patchwork of wind slabs on atypical aspects. They won’t be everywhere, but keep an eye out for smooth pillow-like slabs. 

    Rime, cornices, and drifts can all help you discern local wind patterns and which slopes may be loaded. On some ridges, cornices hang off both sides of the slope, demonstrating the potential irregular loading pattern.

    (12/30/2023)

    Snow plastered on a tree trunk and small drifts help show the local wind direction. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Sunday’s cooler weather should help the snowpack gain strength and, if anything, make avalanche conditions a bit safer. The wet snow surface from Saturday should start to freeze at all but the lowest elevations. While this will help the snow stability, it might not do much for travel conditions. A new breakable surface crust could form in some locations. 

In places where the surface doesn’t freeze or if the sun comes out and breaks down the crust, you will find wet snow. After such a mild and damp week, it’s hard to imagine this wet surface posing any real hazard. You might trigger a few rollerballs or maybe push a bit of snow in very steep terrain. As with any avalanche right now, it’s more about the consequences of taking a ride than it is about the size of the slide. Don’t underestimate even the tiniest avalanche. 

On Saturday, backcountry travelers at both Paradise and Crystal reported wet snow. At middle elevations, this often provided nice smooth (and fun) travel. Lower in the terrain, the wet snow was deeper and heavier. While numerous rollerballs were seen at Crystal, they were generally absent at Paradise. In both cases, no new avalanches were reported. 

The general lack of snow and overabundance of obstacles continue to be the main focus, especially at lower elevations. Breakable crusts, firm slopes, and wet, punchy snow can make travel less predictable. Take it slow and give yourself extra time to deal with the variable conditions and plethora of exposed obstacles.

Regions covered