Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A return to winter-like conditions will bring a stark transition to the snowpack. Expect small wind-drifted pockets to form along exposed ridges and features. Don’t let one of these small slabs push you into rocks or carry you over a cliff.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Strong winds could turn the few inches of new snow into thin slabs on Thursday. While you probably won’t find these wind-loaded pockets everywhere, you might see them along ridgelines and the lee side of exposed features. 

    They should be pretty easy to spot. Look for blowing snow, scoured slopes, and sharp drifts to point toward potentially wind-loaded slopes. 

    While any avalanche you trigger should stay fairly small, it could knock you over and take you for a nasty ride. The real danger comes more from the slide's path rather than the avalanche's size. Think about the consequences of the terrain below before stepping out onto a steep, wind-loaded pocket.

    (12/30/2022)

    Example: Scoured slopes and textured snow surfaces can help you identify thicker deposits.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

“Transition” pretty much sums up Thursday in the mountains. Cooling temperatures and a return to snowfall will create quite a whiplash from wet to dry avalanche problems. Down low, the snowpack took a big hit during recent rain. Shallow coverage, bare groud, punchy snow, roaring creeks, and plenty of obstacles could make travel a bit dangerous. As you ascend, a new surface crust will start to form. 

Wet snow avalanches should be pretty much over. However, you could see a random block of snow shed from steep rocky terrain. It's probably a good idea not to hang out underneath snow patches, clinging to wet cliffs. 

It’s been quite a week in the West South zone. It took the brunt of two very warm and wet storms. Over the past seven days, more than 12 inches of precipitation fell at Paradise, with about half as much falling near the Crest. Much of this precipitation came as rain. The mid-elevation snowpack grew to 4-5 ft before mostly washing away. Now, snow depths around 2 feet are common at those same middle elevations. 

We still don’t know the full impacts of these storms. Observations have been limited to non-existent. If you’re out, let us know what you see by submitting an observation.

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