Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

You can still trigger avalanches in wind drifted snow at upper and some middle elevations across the East Central. Consider steering around wind loaded features if you notice signs of unstable snow or active drifting. Early season hazards are still abundant and can easily exacerbate the consequence of being caught in an avalanche.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    You’ll generally find these wind slabs to be thicker and more widespread at upper elevations across the eastern mountains, but they may also extend into windier middle elevation terrain as well.  Look for these slabs on the leeward side of ridges, below cornices, or adjacent to rock and cliff bands in exposed terrain. You can use visual clues like blowing snow or rippled, textured surfaces to help you identify where the wind has been at work. If you plan on traveling on wind loaded aspects, consider using quick hand pits or small test slopes to check reactivity before stepping out into steeper terrain. Cracks shooting out from your skis or machine are clear indicators that you've found an unstable slab. 

    (11/27/2024)

    NWAC Forecaster Payton Schiff, reported shooting cracks along ridgelines in the Teanaway drainage on Wednesday. 

    Photo: Payton Schiff

Avalanche Discussion

We’re in for a dry pattern for the foreseeable future. Many folks will likely want to push higher into higher terrain, but please recognize that observations are limited this time of year. Ease into larger objectives slowly and take the time to evaluate the early season snowpack. 

While most locations should stay mostly cold, you could still see a few rollerballs on steep slopes with a southerly tilt. However, with the low sun angle this time of year and the variability of new snow over the recent crust, we don’t think the wet loose problem will materialize into anything significant. 

Our new NWAC forecaster, Payton Schiff, traveled up the Teanaway drainage on Wednesday. She found isolated cracking in wind drifted snow  near ridgetop, some rollerballs along steep solar aspects, and plenty of weakening snow surfaces. You can check out the full observation here.

Overall, we have a healthy snowpack across East Central mountains for late November. As you may expect, lower elevations are still quite shallow and access is still challenging in many areas. However, as you climb above 5000 ft you’ll find depths of 3-4 ft on average. Recent observations around Mission Ridge and Blewett Pass have reported a strong lower and mid snowpack , while the upper pack consists of new snow over a crust that formed late last week. NWAC forecasters found small wind slabs failing on this crust earlier this week in the Mission Ridge area. 

If you get out, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation!

 

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