East Slopes Central

Happy New Year! We get to start 2026 with generally safe avalanche conditions, but the weather forecast is a bit fickle so monitor for weakening wet snow or an isolated pocket of wind drifted snow at upper elevations.

The start of the new year will be a transition from warm, sunny high pressure to stormy low pressure. You'll probably ring in 2026 under mostly clear, starry skies. Then, clouds will start to move into the region and thicken as Thursday progresses. There is uncertainty about the timing of incoming precipitation, but it appears it won't infiltrate the zone until the evening. It should be a negligible amount, falling as either sleet or snow. But because there is uncertainty, it behooves you to pay attention to the weather as you recreate on Thursday. If you notice snow is falling earlier than forecasted and being blown around, take a good look for wind affected snow before diving into a steep, exposed slope. If you notice it falling as borderline rain and wetting the snowpack, consider steering around steep slopes where wet snow could release.

We don't have any snowpack information for upper elevations, but we know there are three notable layers in the snowpack at middle elevations. There is a thin crust that formed on Christmas Eve (12/24), a thicker crust that formed on 12/18 and likely extends up to around 6000 ft in some areas, and basal atmospheric-river crusts at the bottom of the snowpack in most areas. Mission Ridge Ski Patrol found 1-3mm facets on the basal crust layer late last week, but facets have not been found anywhere else in the zone. They also found that this crust doesn't exist on SE aspects at middle elevations. The 12/24 crust is buried anywhere from 6-33 inches; the shallower areas are the Wenatchees and Icicle Creek, while the deeper areas are the Teanaway, Salmon La Sac, and likely terrain in the northern end of the zone. So far, surface crusts have not been observed anywhere in the zone; however, on Wednesday, a NWAC Forecaster observed extensive signs of snowpack warming on southerly aspects. These slopes are likely to have a surface crust now.

All the recent snow has made trail access and snow coverage less challenging. Even still, it’s tough going at lower elevations. Downed trees, open creeks, and grabby bushes make getting to deeper snowpacks a challenge. Plan extra time into your day to navigate these obstacles.