Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Happy New Year! UPDATE: Information just came in about a very large avalanche in the Baker backcountry -see the Forecast Discussion for details.  Strong winds on Friday redistributed snow at mid and upper elevations and as a result, lingering avalanche problems exist on wind drifted terrain. If you find thick pillows or textured, firmer snow avoid nearby steep slopes, and in light of recent information, consider avoiding areas beneath large alpine slopes with those characteristics as well. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    You could trigger a wind slab avalanche on New Year’s Day. Deposits mainly formed Friday morning, and observers found and triggered several small slabs throughout the day. Wind slabs could still to react to a human trigger on Saturday. 

    You can identify these slabs by feeling for firmer or hollow snow beneath you. Search for visual clues such as pillowy drifts, cornices, or textured surfaces. Shooting cracks is also a good indicator that the snow is unstable. They are most likely to form around rocky features, on the sides of gullies, or on leeward slopes. If you find any of these identifying characteristics, stay on terrain that isn’t wind-loaded, or choose terrain under 35 degrees.

    (12/29/2021)

    You could trigger a wind slab avalanche similar to this one.

    Photo: Greyson Herdman

Avalanche Discussion

We received a late report of a very large avalanche which occurred naturally in wind-loaded terrain on the Arm in the Baker backcountry on Friday. This is the latest in a series of avalanches failing deeper in the snowpack across the Cascades.  These may be few and far between, but they are scary and unsurvivable. This is class 1, bullseye information: recent avalanches. It's the best indicator for avoiding similar slopes. Very little information is known at this time, but it probably failed around the Solstice Crust, about 5 feet deep.  Consider steering clear of large wind-loaded upper elevation slopes and the terrain beneath them as well. 

Public observations are flowing in - thank you! There are still limited observations at upper elevations, leading to more uncertainty in above treeline areas. It keeps snowing, with only small breaks between storms, and avalanches are still occurring despite the snowpack generally strengthening and stabilizing in the days between storms. Continue doing your research and starting on smaller slopes before heading out into larger terrain or areas with high consequences to start 2022 off right.

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