Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Happy New Year! With plenty of loose snow around, overnight winds could drift snow into shallow slabs where you could trigger an avalanche. Steer around steep slopes with deep drifts, particularly at the base of cliffs, confined rock features, and below corniced ridgelines. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Overnight winds will likely form a fresh round of shallow wind slabs along ridgelines and exposed features at mid and upper elevations. Visual clues, like blowing snow or textured surfaces, can help you identify these fresh pockets of wind slab. Use small, inconsequential test slopes to see if the snow produces cracks or small slabs, signs you could trigger an avalanche.

    We expect larger, older wind slabs to be gaining strength, and most avalanches would occur in shallow, freshly formed wind slabs. However, we can't rule out the unlikely larger avalanche just yet. So, approach alpine terrain cautiously and consider the consequences of a larger, more surprising avalanche. 

    (12/30/2024)

    This widely propagating avalanche in the Icicle Creek Drainage likely occurred on December 28th. SS-N-D2.5-R3

Avalanche Discussion

We'll ring in the new year with a dusting of fresh snow, decreasing winds, and a chance of clearing in the afternoon. Cold overnight temperatures may have weakened surfaces, so small, loose dry avalanches might occur, especially if the sun contributes to any warming in the afternoon. While loose dry avalanches are more predictable than slab avalanches, be aware of where you are in relation to your backcountry partners and avoid the runout of your own sluff. 

Coming out of such a stormy period, we have a healthy dose of uncertainty about the snowpack, particularly higher in the terrain. While we think avalanche activity will be relegated to fresh, shallow wind slabs at upper elevations, we can’t rule out a slide breaking on an interstorm layer or even down to the Solstice Crust. Consider the consequences of a much larger avalanche before steeping out into complex terrain.  

On Sunday, avalanche professionals in the Icicle drainage found recent wind slabs at middle and upper elevations under a bit of fresh snow. These firmer pockets still produced cracks when tested. They also noted evidence of natural cornice collapses and large cornice-triggered wind slabs, mostly from Saturday's warm, wet weather. At lower elevations (5000ft near the crest, 4500ft further east), rain and warm temperatures significantly impacted the snowpack. This also resulted in at least one large natural wet avalanche near Teanaway Mt (see pictures).

Cooling temperatures helped lock up the snowpack at lower elevations, but expect challenging travel over slick, icy surfaces. 

Regions covered