Avalanche forecast

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Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Highlights

You can trigger avalanches at all elevations in new and recent snow. Shifting wind and light snow may drift fresh slabs at upper elevations. Heightend avalanche conditions exist in the eastern mountains and foothills as they're favored for another round of snow with rain at low elevations.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    You can trigger shallow wind slab avalanches on leeward sides of ridges. Pay attention to drifting patterns to tell you where slabs have been deposited. You can avoid these avalanches by sticking to wind-sheltered terrain, low-angled slopes, and steering around wind pillows and drifts. If you see cracks shooting through the snow or stiffer surfaces where the snow slides easily, move to slopes less than 35 degrees. Winds have shifted between easterly and westerly directions and will continue to do so on Monday.

    (1/5/2023)

    A triggered small (D1) avalanche on the leeward side of a ridge in Liberty Bowl, next to South Early Winter Spire. SW, 7,450ft.

    Photo: NWAC Public obs

  • Loose Wet

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

    Make sure to consider avalanches and carry appropriate equipment if you're recreating in the foothills near town. You may encounter recent natural avalanches or be able to trigger them east of about Mazama, including in the lowland hills. These avalanches may involve the recent snow or they could gouge to the ground in areas of shallow, weak snow below 3,000ft. Another round of snow and mixed precipitation will favor the eastern mountains and foothills.

    (12/14/2022)

    An example of an avalanche crown running across the top of an east-facing slope in Finley Canyon, southeast of Twisp.

    Photo: Public Obs

Avalanche Discussion

It was an active weekend, especially in the eastern mountains. On Sunday, WSDOT forecasters repported a wet avalanche that gouged to the ground near the town of Methow. On Saturday, an observer near Twisp reported a mix of snow and rain with a similar avalanche gouging to the ground. Another observer near Washington Pass reported cracking near treeline. On Friday, Willie Webster went to the  Blue Lake trailhead and reported light to moderate blowing snow and a few small wind slab and loose dry avalanches from the past week.   On Thursday, observers in Liberty Bowl triggered a small slab avalanche in an area of wind-drifted snow on a leeward side of a ridge near South Early Winters Spire. The crown was 50ft wind and it ran 500 vertical feet. 

Observers reported a few avalanches, up to size D2, from Delancey Ridge and Spire gully that ran around Jan 1st or 2nd. These ran in recent snow layers and may have been triggered as a result of sun warming the snow and producing tree bombs and point releases.

A cycle of very large avalanches occurred December 24-27th near Washingotn Pass involving older weak layers that were buried in late November and early December. Near the pass, the weak layers are now capped with a stout crust and melt-forms from the Christmas rain event.

Regions covered