Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

 Despite the dry and sunny weather, it remains possible for you to trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow on Friday.  Identify areas that appear wind-textured or pillow-like, particularly on steep, convex slopes at mid and upper elevations.  Navigate around these areas if you notice signs of unstable snow, like shooting cracks. 

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Dry weather and very low wind speeds will help wind slabs gain strength and become more stubborn for a human to trigger on Friday.  That being said,  these shallow slabs won’t be impossible to trigger. They could certainly still surprise you, especially if they break on the slick MLK rain crust.  

    Look for these slabs below ridgelines and peppered in the alpine.  Pay attention to how deep and how dense the snow is as you travel.  If the snow depth and stiffness increases,  you are likely traveling on a wind slab.  Shooting cracks from your skis or sled are indicators of an unstable slab.  These are clear red flags telling you to avoid steep wind-loaded slopes. 

    (12/3/2022)

    Shooting cracks like this are in-your-face indicators pointing at unstable snow. Move to lower angled and more sheltered slopes  if you see signs like this.  

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Friday will provide a beautiful day to be out and about in the mountains.  As the day warms up, you may notice south-facing slopes getting moist.  You may see roller balls and pinwheels , or even small wet loose slides entraining the top couple inches of snow. These will likely be isolated and small, however, these will still be worth keeping on you radar as you travel on steep, south facing slopes. 

 Chances are you will also encounter challenging travel across the zone and find a few inches of snow sitting on a stout rain crust from Mid January.  Having the proper gear such as traction may help you have a safer and more enjoyable day in the mountains.   At lower elevations, you may find shallow conditions with many hidden hazards present, like shallowly buried rocks or stumps.  

Observations have been sparse across the East-South. So it will be up to you make observations and act on them as you travel through terrain.  Subtle changes in wind, temperature, and sun can have a large impact on how the day plays out. These variables affect slab reactivity (how easy to trigger), distribution (everywhere or just in a few places), and size. Be prepared to make and act on your own observations as conditions change. 

If you get into the East-South, please let us know what you see by submitting a public observation! 

 

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