East Slopes South

If you get rained on in the afternoon, the potential for a small wet snow avalanche increases and at upper elevations near the Cascade Crest, you could encounter a very small slab of wind-transported snow. Be aware of hazards below you that a small avalanche of either kind could knock you over.

The forecast region continues its slow migration towards colder conditions. Expect a chillier but sunny morning on Wednesday at all elevations before a weak system moves in in the afternoon. This system might deliver a bout of rain at lower elevations. If you find yourself getting rained on, anticipate the snow getting wet and unstable anew. Ascend to more dry and refrozen snow for safer conditions.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, areas near the Cascade Crest might have a couple of inches of new snow. Combined with moderate to strong ridgeline wind forecasted, you could knock off a small wind slab in complex and exposed terrain. This size of avalanche won't be particularly dangerous, but keeping an eye out for them will help you avoid being caught off guard. Slipping and falling from triggering one could result in being carried over hazards such as rocks and cliffs. Rippled and uneven snow surfaces that are softer and fresher than old surfaces will tell you that these tiny slabs could be lingering on downwind slopes.

An NWAC Forecaster visited Ahtanum Meadows over the weekend to gather some information for this hard to reach and data poor zone. She found a varied but overall stable snowpack. Travel conditions were mostly less than ideal, but some soft and dry surface snow could still be found at upper elevations on shaded aspects. This is one piece of data in a large chunk of terrain for which this forecast is for. If you travel to other parts of the zone, you'll have to do your own snowpack assessments to determine whether conditions are similar. 

Submit an observation to help NWAC Forecasters reduce uncertainty and write more accurate forecasts. It can be short, simple, and even anonymous. Visit the Recent Observations page to get an idea of what backcountry travelers are sharing that help entertain the forecasts in other zones.