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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

There’s lots of fresh snow across the zone. But with all the wind and potential for older weak layers, this is a good time to keep it reigned in. Lower angle and lower consequence terrain is a great way to reduce the risk and enjoy the powder.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    The storm has just ended, and the new snow will need time to heal. This could take longer than normal, especially if some of the older, weak layers come into play. Start the day suspicious of all steep open slopes. If you step into avalanche terrain, look for simple and lower consequence slopes to gather information. Often avalanches become localized to very steep slopes, convex rollovers, and wind loaded terrain. With all the new snow, small slope and uptrack tests may not tell us everything we want to know. 

    Winds certainly blew during this storm and likely formed stiff slabs along ridges and near the base of cliffs. Hard slabs are tricky to assess and often catch travelers off guard. Be especially cautious around wind loaded slopes and look for less steep and less wind affected routes to get around these hazardous slopes. 

    In nearby zones (Stevens, Snoqualmie, West South, East Central), weak older snow layers have reared their ugly head. Avalanches have broken widely, triggered remotely, and released low on the slope. Travelers have experienced long shooting cracks, audible whumpfs, and collapses. We don’t know much about the state of these layers in the West Central zone, but it might be worth reading the nearest-neighbor avalanche forecast for more information.

    Example photo: you can trigger avalanche like this, or larger, beneath the new snow layer on Monday. 

    Photo: Irene Henninger

Avalanche Discussion

Most of the West Central zone stacked up a foot of new snow on Monday. This brings storm totals since Friday to 1.5-2ft. Not bad, given the winter! Some areas could see another inch or two of snow Monday night and Tuesday, particularly in the southern part of the zone. Minimal new snow, light winds, cloudy skies, and cool temperatures on Tuesday should give the snowpack a break from any significant weather. 

If the sun does happen to make a meaningful appearance, expect natural wet loose avalanches to follow. Some of these slides could grow large and dangerous. Fortunately, this problem is easy to monitor by simply watching the sky. Sunshine can also change how slabs react. In some cases, things can shift quickly, and avalanches become much easier to trigger. 

We’d love to believe all this recent snow magically erased our travel woes. Sadly, that’s not the case. Snowpacks at lower elevations and in the forest are still very thin. Open creeks, random holes, and downed logs make routes meandering and long. Give yourself extra time to manage our persistent travel hazards.

 

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