Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

Avalanche conditions are slowly improving, however it's still possible to trigger large avalanches on slopes with wet snow.  Steer around steep terrain if you find yourself sinking past your ankles in sloppy snow. For safer travel, default to areas with a supportable crust.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    The likelihood of triggering a wet avalanche is decreasing as temperatures cool. However, it still remains possible on slopes where you find wet, sloppy snow. If you get unlucky, some of these avalanches could break 2-4 ft deep and take out most of the season's snowpack. So, as you travel, pay close attention to how wet the snow is and avoid steep slopes if you notice deep boot penetration. 

    Wet loose and slab avalanches are the most likely type - but still keep glide avalanches in mind if you notice large cracks at the snow surface. These large avalanches are tough to predict and worth considering as you move through terrain.  

    We're just starting to come out of an extended warm-up with a notoriously weak structure, so continue to give the snowpack time to refreeze before jumping into steep, open slopes. 

    (1/29/2024)

    An example of a large wet slab that occured at Mission Ridge last weekend. WS-ASu-D3-R4-O/G

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

We're finally in a cooling trend, which means our snowpack stability is slowly improving. However, we're not out of the woods yet. Freezing levels are taking their time dropping, and skies remain mostly cloudy for another night, likely resulting in wet snow below 6000 ft for another day. With that said, you could still trigger wet avalanches of different shapes and sizes in these areas.

Observations have been sparse across the east-south recently. However, observers in the West South near Crystal started seeing snow surfaces firm up above 6000 ft. You'll likely find firm travel on this side of the crest too, so be prepared with the proper gear to reduce the chance of a long sliding fall. 

New avalanche observations have been limited the past few days, but there is plenty of evidence from our last natural cycle that occurred early in the week. Observers continue to report the carnage of large avalanches ranging from D2-D3's. Some avalanches took out most of the season's snowpack and propagated widely across terrain features. The culprit of these avalanches was most likely the solstice crust that plagued our lower snowpack in much of the region. It's becoming less likely to trigger an avalanche on this layer as time moves forward; however, it's worth keeping on your mind, especially in areas where you don't find a crust.  

If you get out, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation. 

 

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