Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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 where winds form new slabs at upper elevations and in areas where the recent storm snow slides easily on layers buried this weekend. Consider staying off of steep slopes where you see plumes of blowing snow or experience collapsing or cracks shooting through the snow. Be ready for frigid temperatures and watch out for falling in tree wells and deep holes in the snow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    You can trigger a variety of avalanches from recent storm snow and freshly drifted slabs. Avalanches will involve the top 1-2 feet of snow. Watch for cracks in the snow or plumes of blowing snow as indicators of the danger. Use snowpack tests and small test slopes to see if the snow slides easily before committing to larger pieces of terrain. 

    Very cold temperatures are keeping recent storm interfaces from healing. You can find a couple of interfaces buried by recent storms in the top 2 feet. You may even find surface hoar buried on the 8th and 18th. South of the Mountain Loop Highway, you may see east winds forming fresh slabs during the day at upper elevations. Avalanches may be easiest to trigger above treeline on leeward sides of ridges.

    (2/13/2021)

    This slab avalanche failed in the new snow layer, spanning the width of this steep rollover, a likely location for an avalanche to fail. Photo: Tom

    Photo: Public Ob

Avalanche Discussion

If you find loose, low-density snow on steep slopes you could trigger a dry loose avalanche. Pay attention to the possibility of triggering one of these more predictable types of avalanches if you enter a steep slope. Partly cloudy skies might mean that even on the winter solstice south-facing slopes might have a few loose snow avalanches running on them as the sun shines onto the steeper surfaces. Despite saying this, it's forecasted to stay very cold Wednesday, so be sure to prepare for the low temperatures. 

Regions covered