Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 9 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche potential should be highest in wind-loaded terrain at upper elevations, particularly near the crest. To get there, you'll need to navigate numerous early-season obstacles. Information, snow depths, and forecast confidence are all generally low, so build in an extra safety buffer when creating your travel plans.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Continued snowfall and gusty winds will maintain the possibility for wind slab avalanches on Sunday. Slabs will be larger and more sensitive as you ascend in elevation to where snow coverage is more continuous. To help identify wind-loaded features, note how the snow feels as you travel. It may feel denser and be deeper than the surrounding terrain. Slabs may be easier to trigger near rocky outcrops, confined chutes, or the base of cliffs. 

    (12/6/2025)

    A skier-triggered wind slab avalanche in the neighboring East North zone. This slide involved all of the recent storm snow. [6700ft, NW. SS-AS-D1.5-I]

    Photo: Will Govus

Avalanche Discussion

We're in the midst of a multi-day storm cycle with different waves hitting our shores every 24-36 hours. On Saturday, the northern part of the zone picked up significantly more snow (close to a foot) than areas further south and east. If you're traveling in the northwest part of the zone, you may want to consider reading the East North forecast to get some added nuance from our neighboring zone. 

Regardless of your location in the zone, the snowpack is still in the early stages of development. As you ascend in elevation, expect to find a more winterlike landscape and a higher potential for avalanches. Recent (and upcoming) rain is not helping the cause down low. At these elevations, we lack sufficient snow coverage to put out a hazard rating. This could impede your plans of reaching continuous snow to recreate. Open creeks, exposed rocks and stumps, and bare ground are not uncommon right now.

As we look ahead to Sunday, anticipate rising freezing levels throughout the day as precipitation continues ahead of a significant rain event on Monday. Make sure your travel plans account for the volatile weather and early-season conditions. Have a safe exit plan and give yourself plenty of extra time to make it home before the weather gets really nasty Sunday night.

With the warm start to the 25-26 winter season, we have less snowpack information than usual to start daily forecast operations. For zones and elevation bands with less snow than needed for avalanche hazard, we will issue a forecast with No Rating. Anticipated avalanche and weather conditions will still be updated daily. NWAC will issue an avalanche danger rating for a zone when enough snow to produce avalanches has accumulated at middle and upper elevations.

Regions covered