Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

With a frozen snow surface, you shouldn’t find any real avalanche concerns to start the day. As the surface softens, you may see tiny wet loose slides. Don’t let one of these small avalanches catch you by surprise in very steep or rocky terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    A cold, clear night should form a solid freeze and stout crust. This will need to break down before you’ll see any wet loose issues. The more it thaws, the more wet snow there will be to push downhill. Monitor these changing conditions with your boot. When you find wet snow deeper than your ankle, head to a less sloppy slope. With plenty of sunshine and such warm temperatures, only the highest and most shaded slopes may evade the heat. 

    We think the strong crust will prevent these avalanches from growing very big. However, if the crust fully weakens and reveals weak wet snow below, then the scales are tipping and conditions are getting dangerous. If you sink deeply into wet punchy snow, see slides gouging below the surface, or notice blocks of snow shedding from rocks, it's time to dial it back and adjust to the more dangerous avalanche conditions.

    (4/5/2025)

    Use your boot to monitor the changing surface conditions as you travel. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

This is the last avalanche forecast for the 24-25 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through April 27th. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter

Ultimately, the overnight freeze is the critical part of this forecast. We think it will protect any underlying weak wet layers tomorrow. However, going forward that could change. The snowpack at middle and upper elevations is still fumbling its way through a messy transition from winter to spring. Many slopes still have numerous layers of dry snow. Shed-style avalanches and cornice collapses seem very unlikely on Sunday, but you can’t totally rule them out. They could become more common as we move further into this prolonged warm period. Pay attention to what’s above you and don’t linger under cornices or snow covered rock faces. 

If you head to the upper end of our forecast area (~8000ft), you may find pockets of dry wind blown snow. These small wind slabs are likely several days old, but may still fail on very steep or unsupported slopes. Don’t assume the low danger travels with you if you climb higher on the volcanoes. It could be a totally different world up there. Make sure you have the skills to assess the hazard and determine when, where, and how to travel. 

Right out of the gate in the morning, the snow could be very firm and icy. This may result in slide for life conditions. Bring the tools and techniques to travel on these slick surfaces. 

It's spring and the snowpack is changing quickly. Open creeks, holes around rocks, patches of bare ground, and tree debris are more and more common. This is especially true at lower elevations where a very spring-like snowpack is thinning quickly. You may encounter more travel challenges than normal for this time of year. 

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