Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Low danger doesn't mean no danger. You could trigger small wet loose avalanches on steep slopes later in the day. When you begin to punch into wet snow surfaces, or if you notice fresh rollerball activity then it's time to move away from steeper and more consequential terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    As the daytime warms up and the sun melts surface crusts, look for indicators of wet activity such as moist surface snow, rollerballs, and recent fan-shaped avalanches. Once you notice these, or if you begin to sink into wet snow deeper than your boot top, it's time to move off of steep slopes. You may be more likely to run into wet avalanches on steep east aspects, along with south to west-facing slopes later in the day. The potential size of loose wet slides will increase on sustained, very steep slopes where you find more recent snow overlying a crust. While these small avalanches are fairly predictable, they could be dangerous in larger terrain features and terrain traps such as trees or cliffs. 

    You may be less likely to trigger wet loose avalanches above treeline with cooler temperatures and a breeze. Cornices may break off and run downhill, so be sure to give them plenty of room when traveling on ridges and stay out from underneath them. 

    (3/31/2021) A wet loose avalanche (D1.5) off northeast facing terrain in adjacent East Central zone.

Avalanche Discussion

North aspects may still hold dry snow, but the sun has formed crusts of various thicknesses on all other slopes. How snow surfaces hold up on Saturday will depend on how solid the overnight freeze is, and how thick the cloud cover is. You can easily check to see how thick surface crusts are with a hand or ski pole. In any case, sunshine may begin to melt surfaces as the daytime warms up. Temperatures were very warm on Wednesday and Thursday, and the sun was out. You may find a number of wet loose avalanches and rollerballs on many slopes from this time. The last storm finished up on Monday, and left around a foot of new snow at Washington Pass. 

Since the beginning of March, the region has undergone a slow warming trend. Observers have reported sagging cornices with sporadic cornice fall. Glide cracks have released in some areas (see photo from Cutthroat below). The lower snowpack is generally well settled in the zone.

Regions covered