Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The hazard is more about the slopes above your head than the snow under your feet. You aren’t likely to trigger a slide, but one could fall down on you. Don’t linger under snow covered cliffs or overhanging cornices. 

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2

    We’re taking a much broader view of “glide avalanches” at the moment to include blocks of snow shedding from cliffs, chunks of cornices falling off ridgelines, or  even a rouge wet loose slide.  These isolated shed-style avalanches could occur during this prolonged warm period. They’re very hard to predict and bring a huge amount of uncertainty. You won’t be able to assess the likelihood of these events. So, move quickly through terrain underneath snow covered rock faces or looming cornices. 

    Fortunately, these shed-style slides should be few and far between. While the danger isn’t necessarily “Low,” it’s also not overly scary.

    (1/27/2025)

    Glide cracks opening up on this steep rocky face. E, 6500ft. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Clear skies will help any snow that softened on Monday to freeze overnight.  Expect firm and icy southerly slopes to start the day. However, sunshine, warm temperatures, and light winds will quickly soften this terrain, providing spring-like snow despite the date. We don’t expect any significant wet loose avalanche issues. However, if you find wet snow deeper than your ankle, it’s time to move to a different less sloppy aspect. 

Temperature inversions could make it chilly in some of the mountain valleys and passes Tuesday morning. These colder temperatures along with a stronger overnight freeze will likely result in generally safe avalanche conditions at lower elevations. 

“That may be the most variable conditions I’ve ever experienced on one slope,” said one longtime backcountry traveler on Monday. Repeated melt-freeze cycles should create the most predictable snow on steep sunny slopes. They are often firm in the morning, with soft spring snow in the afternoon. Lower angled or more shaded terrain holds a wider variety of surfaces. You could find breakable crusts, icy slopes, wind textured surfaces, chalky snow, or recycled powder (facets). You might be lucky enough to experience all of these in less than 50ft! Icy, irregular snow in the trees continues to produce the most challenging travel. Put them all together, and you’ll want to make sure you have the tools, techniques, and time to deal with the variable conditions. 

While slide-for-life conditions are not widespread, you could find very firm snow particularly in the morning on some of the larger slopes of the volcanoes. In these places, a slip could turn into a long uncontrolled fall. 

Sparkly surface hoar and facets have been widely reported over the past few weeks. In some locations, they are shallow, in others several inches thick. On some slopes, the facets are capped by a crust, in others not. While not an issue right now, keep an eye on where the weak snow is as we impatiently await a storm later this week.

Regions covered