Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Warm, wet weather could result in a few avalanches, particularly at higher elevations. Even if most of these slides are small, they could flush you over a cliff or down a narrow chute. Think about the consequences before committing to steep terrain on this rainy day.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    With warm temperatures and rain in the forecast, you might be able to push a wet avalanche on any steep slope, but they will be most likely where a few inches of heavy snow accumulates during the day. This may only occur later in the day, near the crest, in the highest terrain. Kicking off rollerballs or seeing small point release slides are the key indicators that you can trigger avalanches on similar slopes. 

    Below the rain-snow line, the snowpack should handle this modest amount of rain well. However, you might still push a pile of wet snow in extreme terrain, or a blob of snow could peel off a craggy face. Pay attention in rocky terrain, and don’t let one of these isolated avalanches catch you off guard.

    (12/24/2025)

    Example: Tringgering rollerballs like these in new wet snow is a good sign avalanches could occur in similar areas. 

    Photo: Payton Schiff

Avalanche Discussion

Well, the weather pattern is changing, but maybe not in the way we all hoped. Saturday looks warm, wet, and windy for much of the zone. 

Clear skies Friday night could result in a new surface crust on open slopes despite the above freezing temperatures. Precipitation probably won’t arrive near the crest until closer to lunchtime and in the Wenatchees a bit later. While precipitation should easily reach over the divide, this isn’t a big storm, and rain amounts should be modest. Often, rain on snow is a huge red flag sign of unstable snow. However, weeks of warm weather and last weekend’s rain event generally build a strong snowpack that should handle the water well. There were reports this week of dry snow on the surface above 6500 ft on northerly aspects, and it likely also exists further north in the zone. On these slopes, the rain will bring a much bigger change and could result in more pronounced avalanche problems. 

Friday was an interesting one. Westerly winds finally scoured out some of the cold air still lingering in the valleys, allowing them to warm slightly. Conversely, middle and upper elevations generally saw cooler temperatures than the past few days with highs only in the 40s and 50s. Cooler? Ha!

Needless to say, conditions remain painfully thin. Many southerly slopes and lower elevation terrain are bare. Simply traveling in the mountains takes longer than normal due to all the obstacles. Add to that wet heavy snow, potentially breakable crusts, and random holes, and you have the makings of a challenging day. In some places, travel hazards are more pronounced than the avalanche danger. Let’s hope this weekend’s snow helps. 

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