Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

With sun and warming temperatures, you could trigger wet avalanches in the recent snow. We expect most avalanches to be small, but they could be consequential in areas that received over 6 inches of snow. Stick to shaded, low-angle slopes if you find wet snow that slides easily.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Avalanches will be most likely and of consequence in the Wenatchee Mountains and east slope of the Cascades where up to 8" of snow accumulated through Monday night. Check the snow on and just below the surface to see how well it froze overnight. If you find a poor overnight freeze, expect that avalanches may be easy to trigger. Look for rollerballs, tree bombs, and feel for heavy wet snow as indicators that you can trigger slides. Avalanches could be large on steep, rocky slopes. Time your day to be off of steep sunny slopes before they get wet and weak.

    (3/21/2023)

    Wet avalanches near Rock Mtn and Mt Howard, 6300ft, SE

    Photo: Brooke Maushund

Avalanche Discussion

Snowfall through Monday night brought up to 8" in the Wenatchee Mountains, though as little as 1" to some other parts of the zone. In areas with higher snow totals, wet avalanches occurred naturally on Tuesday. With significant variability in snow totals from east to west, the danger has varied across the zone. 

The recent snow has piled deep over a couple of intermittent sun crusts and a pair of rain crusts from Valentine's Day, which are around 3-5ft deep. This crust extends to just below 7000ft with some weaker snow beneath it, and observations indicate wide variability in the structure and depth of this layer throughout the zone. The MLK crust is down 4-6ft and extends to higher elevations. Very large avalanches that occurred on the 10th on Cannon Mountain, Rock Mountain, and North Chiwakum may have run on one of these crusts or some other deep layer. It has been over a week since any new, very large avalanche occurrences, and we don't expect to see any additional activity on deeper, old snow layers. Still, since we have yet to definitively ID the weak layer or interfaces in these slides, it's worth considering if you step out into steep, complex, northerly alpine terrain.

Regions covered