Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

The mountains may feel very spring-like, but we’re coming off a week of warm and rainy weather. Weird things happen when water moves through the snowpack, including random shed avalanches. Be mindful of what’s above you, and don’t hang out below snow that’s still clinging to rocks or slopes with crevasse-like cracks.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

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

    These aren’t avalanches you’ll trigger, and there’s not an easy observation to assess if it’s “safe.” We’re mainly worried about a few natural wet avalanches that could occur with little or no warning. Due to the wet heavy snow, even a blob the size of a TV would be enough to crush you. Mainly, this avalanche problem is about awareness, recognition, and exposure. 

    Avalanches will be most likely on rocky slopes where snow, somehow, has managed to still cling to the steep faces and where glide cracks show the entire snowpack is in motion. If you see terrain that fits either description, limit the amount of time you spend on or under it. It’s that simple. 

    A surface crust should help limit the potential for wet loose avalanches. However, if the crust breaks down on steep southerly slopes, maybe you can push a small wet slide later in the day. These shouldn’t be a big deal unless they drag you off a cliff or into a creek.

    (4/10/2025)

    Example: This is the type of terrain that could still produce a rogue wet avalanche on Sunday. Identify it and limit your time under it. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Mostly clear skies and cool temperatures should allow the snow surface to freeze Saturday night. How firm and thick this crust becomes may vary significantly across the zone and even slope to slope. On Sunday, a beautiful spring-like day should start cold (and maybe a bit cloudy) before sunshine and warmer temperatures help soften the surface on southerly slopes. 

Last week brought quite a bit of rain, warm temperatures, and strong winds to the East Central zone. Precipitation totals varied from west to east with 3-4 inches of rain near the crest, and less than a 1/4 inch in the Wenatchees. Where more rain fell, water likely thoroughly wetted all our recent persistent weak layers. In the long term, that should be good for stability. What’s tricky is that most of that water is still moving around in the snowpack. Until it freezes or drains, it could do weird things, including releasing wet slab or glide avalanches. 

An avalanche professional traveling in the Hwy 2 corridor on Saturday noticed several wet slab crowns in the Chiwaukum Range. This is just over the border into the Stevens Pass zone. While these slides likely occurred late last week, they highlight the potential for wet slabs to release as water pools in one of these older weak layers. Further east in the zone, below the surface, the snowpack likely remains cold, dry, and layered. 

No surprise, the warm, rainy weather didn’t help coverage. Lower elevations and south-facing terrain look particularly grim. Expect bare ground, raging creeks, and random holes. Where there is snow, an irregular surface with breakable crusts and icy slopes might not make travel very easy. Take your time when dealing with all these travel hazards.

Regions covered