Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

New snow will be falling and not sticking very well to a variety of surfaces below. You could trigger small but surprising slab avalanches on steep and exposed downwind slopes or small point release avalanches anywhere else that previously had snow on the ground. Be more cautious around steep slopes where you could be knocked over and carried into cliffs, rocks, and trees below.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    A few inches of snow will fall overnight on Wednesday zone-wide, and light snowfall will continue near the Cascade Crest through Thursday. Increasing wind will accompany this storm track and peak Thursday morning. The direction will shift from south to more westerly. Small slabs will form over weak, faceted snow and slick crusts. So, despite their small size, avalanches could be surprisingly reactive. Expect deeper slabs on northern and eastern aspects.

    There are plenty of visual clues to look out for, such as active drifting along ridgelines, textured/uneven surfaces, and fresh cornice/wind lip formation. Wind-drifted snow is clearly unstable if you see long shooting cracks from your equipment or natural avalanches. You can also use small, safe test slopes to assess new snow reactivity. If you easily trigger a mini-avalanche, steer clear of bigger steep slopes and wind-loaded features. Wind slabs most often form just below ridgelines and are most sensitive during or immediately following a storm. An avalanche probably won't be big enough to bury you, but given our low snowpack and the abundance of exposed hazards, the consequences of being caught and carried are increased.

    (2/27/2026)

    A longer shooting crack in wind-loaded snow like this is a key sign that you could trigger an avalanche on a steep, downwind slope.

    Photo: Payton Schiff

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Any new, low-density snow may slide easily on old snow surfaces. These surfaces are slick crusts in most places and weak faceted snow on upper elevation north and east aspects. Managing a small loose dry avalanche problem is all about "managing your sluff". That means more deliberate, slow travel away from terrain traps where snow will entrain down. Pause to let sluff pass if it's growing too big, or if you need to change direction. The consequences of being knocked over by sluff are heightened by the cornucopia of exposed hazards in the terrain right now. This problem is less likely on south and west aspects at all elevations due to minimal or non-existent snow coverage.

    (2/19/2026)

    Although hard to make out in this photo, this is an example of "sluff management". Dry loose snow entrained down into the gully of this slope, so the skier skied off to the side of the fall line to avoid getting caught up in the sluff.

    Photo: Payton Schiff

Avalanche Discussion

We got a little fooled by the April 1st storm, which came in later than forecasted and is now more heavily impacting the zone as this forecast is being written. The storm will intensify overnight, with increasing snowfall rates and wind. Snowfall will peter out in the Wenatchees Thursday morning, and the eastern side of the zone may even see a some sun breaks by the afternoon. Increased wind speeds will persist throughout the day.

An NWAC forecaster in the Salmon La Sac area on Tuesday found continuous snow began around 4300ft on favored aspects. Southerly and westerly aspects were largely bare ground up to upper elevations. They found weak snow overlying the 3/25 crust on shady aspects at upper elevations and noted a poor bond with this crust. With additional snowfall on its way falling either on the crust itself or that weak snow, this could become a perfect setup for widespread, small avalanches. 

If the sun fully comes out and stays out to the east, the chance of small, loose snow avalanches increases. These could be dry loose or wet loose avalanches depending on the aspect. Be more mindful of your terrain selection if you don't want to get caught up in moving snow.

Recent rain, warm temps, and sun have created widespread non-avalanche hazards. Expect open creeks, holes, and exposed logs and rocks—especially at lower elevations and on south-facing slopes. Travel carefully and plan for difficult access.

Are you heading out into the mountains?  Let us know what you see by submitting an observation here or on the AvyApp.

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