Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

With the dribble of new snow accumulations, keep tabs on small slabs of wind drifted snow just below exposed ridgelines in terrain near the Cascade Crest. Cracking, collapsing, and actively drifting snow are red flags to look out for. Although small and not likely to bury you, consider the consequences of being carried downhill in any terrain you choose.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    It will be possible to trigger both old and new slabs of wind drifted snow in exposed terrain on Wednesday. All slabs should be small, but you might find an isolated deeper pocket in extreme terrain. If the wind blows strongly enough, you can use blowing snow as a sign that slabs are being built in lee terrain. More reliable clues to look out for are fresh, soft cornice or drift formation, textured surfaces, and shooting cracks in new slabs. While unlikely to bury you, consider the consequences of being carried downslope with all of the hazards still exposed in terrain right now.

    There are widespread buried weak layers within the snowpack that could be finally overloaded by slabs building on top. It's worth a minute of your time to dig small hand pits and check the bond between interfaces. A wind slab failing on one of these layers has the potential to propagate more widely than expected.

    (2/16/2026)

    Subtle signs of wind drifted snow can help anticipate wind loaded slopes just on the other side of the trees. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Wednesday ended up windier than forecasted, and areas right along the Cascade Crest picked up yet another incremental inch or two of new snow. All this new and recent snow is fairly low-density, so there's a decent chance small fresh slabs formed in lee terrain. The zone should pick up another couple of inches from a southeast storm track on Thursday.  And although the wind forecast is light, east flow usually carries the potential for periods of moderate to strong wind, particularly at ridgeline.

Buried surface hoar (BSH) has been observed in this zone and is likely now buried 6-8 inches deep. Another 4 inches below the BSH, there is a complex crust/facet sandwich. So far, all this new snow has fallen too incrementally and lacks the cohesion for these layers to become problematic. It's a bit of a waiting game to see if each additional inch will be enough to finally tip the scales. Buried surface hoar will show up as a "dull grey line" in the uppermost portion of the snowpack. Faceted snow is often characterized as "loose and sugary," and you'll probably find it just underneath a harder crust. Let us know what you're finding by submitting an observation to the website or AvyApp.

This return to winter is slowly improving travel conditions, but unfortunately for the East South zone, you still won't find enough snow for on-snow recreation unless you're at Sno Parks immediately adjacent to the Cascade Crest, such as Pinegrass or Bumping Lake. Even in these parts, low coverage abound especially at lower elevations and on southerly slopes. Many other hazards, such as downed locks, rocks, random holes, and open creeks, exist at all elevations. Give yourself some extra time and take precautions when riding in these conditions. Some hazards may be obscured by new snow.

Regions covered