Avalanche forecast

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Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Recent westerly winds have drifted slightly stiffer slabs of snow in exposed terrain. Watch for triggering avalanches on steep slopes just below ridges and cliffs and in open terrain at middle and upper elevations. Reduce your risk by sticking to low-angle, wind-sheltered slopes.   

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    The storms of the past week added significant weight on top of deeper instabilities in the snowpack. If you see very deep avalanches with wide crowns, that's a warning to stick to simple terrain. Older facet/crust layers are buried 4-5 feet in the snowpack.  While we have a lot of uncertainty about this problem, continue to factor in the high consequences of an avalanche when selecting terrain until we learn more. 

    (2/26/2026)

    A number of large, natural avalanches on a leeward mid-slope feature. Note blowing snow. This likely ran on a weak layer above the 2/7 crust, ~2 feet below the surface. Cutthroat Lake. E-SE, 6,600ft

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    A recent round of westerly wind formed slabs near ridges and in exposed terrain at middle and upper elevations from Friday to Friday night. You can still trigger these avalanches. Avoid steep slopes with deep drifts near ridgelines and exposed alpine bowls.

    Avalanches could be easy to trigger and could run long distances. Steer around steep convexities and unsupported terrain features. Look for subtle stiffened snow and drifting. If you observe long shooting cracks or test slopes produce small avalanches, stick to slopes under 30 degrees.   

    (3/12/2026)Shooting cracks were observed in wind-drifted snow on Thursday.Photo: Will Govus

  • Loose Dry

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

    In wind-sheltered terrain, you can trigger avalanches on very steep slopes where you find uncohesive, loose snow on the surface. Even small avalanches can be dangerous, where they could push you into a terrain trap, like a gulley or off cliffs. While these avalanches are predictable, stay alert so as not to get caught in them.

    (3/13/2026)

    We frequently triggered small soft slabs and loose dry avalanches. Varden Creek

    Photo: Will Govus

Avalanche Discussion

A stormy week has delivered 2-3 feet of snow over a crust since March 8th. On Wednesday through Friday, observers reported cracking within the recent snow in both sheltered and wind-affected terrain. On Saturday, observers near Varden Creek reported natural wet loose avalanches on easterly aspects. Observers in Willow Creek found wind-affected snow at middle and especially upper elevations. Near Kangaroo Ridge, a skier was caught, but uninjured, in a wind slab avalanche on a southeast aspect at 7600ft.

On Friday, observers reported extensive cracking in sheltered terrain, and easy triggering of soft slab, and loose snow avalanches. On Wednesday,  professionals observed a large natural avalanche that involved recent storm snow running on the 3/8 crust on northerly aspects in the Hairpin Valley . There's about 2-2.5 feet of recent storm snow above the crust in the Washington Pass area.  There have been no recent observations of avalanches running on older persistent weak layers from mid-February. With all the recent snow, these weak layers in the snowpack continue to hold our attention. The 2/13 facets above the 2/7 crust can still be found on a variety of aspects and elevations. 

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