Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

As temperatures plummet on Wednesday, so will the avalanche danger. But still watch for isolated pockets of stiff wind-drifted snow at upper elevations or wet punchy snow at lower elevations or on sunny slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    We don't expect more than a few inches of new snow, and what we do get may be isolated to areas closer to the Cascade Crest, like Salmon La Sac. But the winds will be relatively strong overnight and will likely drift the new snow into shallow slabs where you could trigger a small avalanche. Cracking in textured, stiff, wind-drifted snow indicates that you could trigger an avalanche on a steep slope. Likely spots to trigger one of these could be confined alpine terrain features such as couloirs, the base of cliffs, or steep slopes below corniced ridges. We expect most avalanches to be inconsequential, but caution in extreme terrain where even a mini avalanche could pose a considerable fall risk.

    (2/23/2024)

    Cracking in wind textured snow like this is a bullseye clue that you could trigger a wind slab in steep terrain nearby.

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

Even though it will be almost 20 degrees colder on Wednesday, the snowpack can take some time to re-freeze. So watch for rollerballs, snow shedding off rocks and cliffs, and wet snow surfaces as the first indication of wet avalanches. With the dynamic spring weather, the sun could make a more prolonged appearance than anticipated. Watch for overhead hazards from snow falling from rock slabs and cornices, or move to shadier terrain if the sunny slopes become wet and punchy. 

Folks have used the nice weather to push to higher elevations across the zone. Many reported back with observations of wind slabs and dry cold snow on high elevation north aspects and widespread wet avalanches on other aspects. They also noted less snow at lower elevations than is typical for early April, so be prepared for some interesting and challenging travel conditions. 

Backcountry skiers triggered small D1 avalanches in the Mission Peak area on Friday and Saturday. These avalanches broke 9-12 inches and occurred on east aspects at approximately 5800 ft. You can check out their observations here and here. Around the same area on Friday, an NWAC forecaster found a layer of buried surface hoar within the recent snow. This problem may not exist after the recent warm temperatures. But if you're finding dry snow on north-facing terrain, dig down and identify any weak interfaces before committing to steep slopes. 

Let us know what you see as you travel in the mountains by submitting a public observation here. 

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