Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

More snow, strengthening winds, and warming temperatures will increase avalanche danger on Tuesday. Pay attention to changing conditions and shift to lower-angle, sheltered terrain as the storm moves in. High avalanche danger is anticipated overnight into Wednesday morning.

 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Fresh slab avalanches in the uppermost layer of snow were very easy to trigger on Monday. These slabs should gain strength and become harder to trigger, but look for yet another round of slab formation later on Tuesday as the next storm winds up. 

    You are more likely to trigger an avalanche in terrain where the wind is building thicker slabs. Drifting snow will show you which slopes are loading up. You might also find denser snow over softer layers of snow on any aspect, not just wind-loaded slopes.

    Check the bond of new snow layers using hand shears, test slopes, and stomping on wind-drifted features. Stay alert to signs of instability like whumping, shooting cracks, and recent natural or human-triggered avalanches. These are signs it’s probably time to back off towards mellower terrain.

    (12/16/2024)

    A thin but widely propagating slab avalanche on Monday in the Baker BC/West North. Reactive slabs were found on all aspects.

    Photo: Jere Burrell - Guided Exposure

Avalanche Discussion

Keep an eye on slopes picking up sun in the morning, or all steep slopes if you experience rain or a sharp temperature rise. Look for signs of instability like rollerballs and snow shedding from trees and cliffs. 

Monday’s snowfall (4" of new snow at the White Chuck Tripod) and moderate winds were likely enough to sustain avalanche danger,  if not raise it. In West North, observers reported very reactive conditions with shallow but widely propagating and easy-to-trigger slabs on all aspects. Fresh snowfall in that zone (about 6” ) and moderate winds didn’t make for truly stormy conditions, but it was enough to produce slabs that bonded poorly to the soft, weak snow below. Wind slab avalanches continue to be reported from Stevens Pass - many of them triggered by avalanche control work at Stevens Pass Mountain Resort.

With the lack of observations from the West Central forecast zone, it's difficult to accurately say what you will find out there. Be ready to assess stability and find conditions different than you expect. The diverse range of weather effects from this storm means the actual avalanche danger and the kind of avalanches you might find vary widely between different parts of the same forecast zone. For additional information reference the avalanche forecast for the “nearest neighbor” zone for where you plan to go in West Central.

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