Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

On Friday, conditions will remain dangerous in the East North zone even though the snowfall will taper. You can trigger avalanches in recent snow on slopes steeper than 35 degrees, especially where the wind formed deep drifts. Minimize the risk of getting caught in an avalanche by sticking to lower-angle, wind-sheltered terrain and avoiding steep roll-overs and slopes above rocks or cliffs. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    The most dangerous areas will be leeward sides of ridges and wind-exposed features. To safely travel in the backcountry, stick to well-supported lower-angle slopes and wind-sheltered terrain. Steer around typical trigger points like convexities, and unsupported features.

    Watch for cracks shooting through the snow and recent avalanches to indicate the danger. Use small features and quick tests to see how easily the snow slides before getting onto bigger slopes.

    (12/26/2024)

    Skiers triggered a small avalanche on a convex feature. Delancey Ridge, SE, 5,200ft

    Photo: Forest McBrian

Avalanche Discussion

An intense and prolonged storm moved into the region on Wednesday and delivered about 10" of snow and 1" SWE at Washington Pass at the time of publishing. Winds have been strong enough to transport snow. Both snowfall and winds will taper for Friday.

On Thursday, observers triggered small avalanches in the new snow and cracking on wind-sheltered slopes. Observers on Delancey Ridge at 5,500ft found over 5 feet of snow on the ground and the Solstice crust is 1.5 feet below the surface. Near, Washington Pass, the snowpack is over 7 feet deep.

The snowpack in the eastern portion of the zone is shallower and may hold more weak layers. Pay attention to red flag signs of instability, such as whumping collapses, and consider digging down to identify and layers of weak snow. Last week, observers reported small avalanches failing on a layer of buried surface hoar. The distribution of the surface hoar is uncertain, though it could exist in other areas of the eastern mountains and foothills. 

You can contribute to the avalanche forecast. Please let us know what you see in the mountains by submitting an observation. 

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