Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Expect another day of relatively quiet weather. While avalanches are hard to come by, there's still a chance that you could trigger one at upper elevations or in the eastern mountains. If you experience warning signs of loud collapses or cracks shooting through the snow, stick to lower-angled slopes, under 35 degrees.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Look and feel for subtle changes in the snow above treeline like stiffer snow near the surface or in the upper snowpack. Watch out if you find punchy, softer layer underneath. Keep an eye out for "red flag" warning signs like shooting cracks or whumphing collapses. If you find any of these clues, move to lower-angled slopes, windward terrain, or lower-elevations.

    Avalanches are becoming harder to trigger, though not impossible. The most likely scenario would be triggering a small, shallow pocket of snow, transported by the wind at the end of last week. These avalanches may be just big enough to be of consequence if they push you into rocks or off of a cliff. Less likely, but very dangerous, would be triggering older, deeper drifted slabs that rest on facets in the lower half to third of the snowpack. The resulting avalanche could be big enough to kill you. This structure may be located in very specific to isolated areas above treeline, where drifts formed around Thanksgiving. I found this snowpack structure after being surprised by a large collapse around 7,600ft on a southwest aspect near the Highway 20 hairpin, just east of Washington Pass.

    (12/3/2022)

    Very shallow 2-3" chunks of wind slabs could be initiated on kickturns above treeline. Hairpin valley, SW, 7,500ft.

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

You may encounter small loose avalanches on steep south aspects, especially near and above treeline and around rocks. The sun and warming temperatures have formed crusts and small rollerballs on steep, sunny slopes. Significant temperature inversions have kept valleys cold and warmed the high peaks.

While unlikely, you may also be able to trigger avalanches in steep terrain at low elevations, near valley bottoms, or east of about Mazama. Cold temperatures and shallow snow have kept the snowpack weak. While avalanches aren't out of the question, observers are generally finding not enough overlying cohesive slab to produce avalanches. Signs of instability abound with many observers reporting large collapses in these areas. Future storms could bring avalanches to these areas of shallower snowpack.

The winter is off to a great start. It's tough to remember that it's only early December. There are still many parts of the mountains where we don't have information. Be ready to make your own assessments of the snow and avalanche conditions and let us know what you see by submitting observations.

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