East Slopes North

The likelihood of wet snow avalanches will decrease at upper elevations as temperatures cool and cloud cover and ridgeline winds increase.  If you find wet snow lingering at lower elevations, avoid extreme terrain features. The avalanche danger will rise Wednesday night near the Cascade crest.  

An incoming frontal system will help decrease the likelihood of wet snow avalanches on Wednesday at upper elevations thanks to cooler, cloudier, and windier conditions.  The heaviest precipitation associated with the frontal system will likely hold off until Wednesday night.  If you find the storm arrives faster than forecast,  start thinking about fresh wind slabs developing below ridgelines on steep open slopes.  

The cool down won't arrive for mid and lower slopes until later Wednesday afternoon and night.  While wet snow avalanches are unlikely, there are some factors to keep in mind at lower and mid-elevations, especially earlier in the day.  Where you find wet, unsupportive snow, you may be able to trigger wet avalanches.  Avoid very steep slopes, especially those around terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche would be amplified.  Avoid traveling on or below slopes with open, crevasse-like cracks in the snow. Glide avalanches are notoriously hard to predict and can occur well after the air temperature has dropped below freezing. 

Northerly aspects may still hold dry snow above 6,000ft, but the sun and warm weather have formed crusts on most other slopes. Since the beginning of March, the region has undergone a slow warming trend. While low elevation slopes have seen significant melting, most slopes hold a largely dry snowpack. The mid and lower snowpack is well settled. Observers have reported sagging cornices with sporadic cornice fall. Glide cracks have released from some rock slabs (see photo from Cutthroat below). While it's far to the south, it's worth noting that a significant cycle of glide avalanches occurred at Snoqualmie Pass on April 3rd.

If you're out midweek let us and the backcountry community know what you see and Submit an Observation.