Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Loose wet avalanches are the primary concern as temperatures rise and the sun shines.  Move off and away from steep slopes where you see rollerballs or small loose wet avalanches. Avoid very steep, wind-loaded terrain at upper elevations where unstable slabs still linger.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Sun-exposed slopes saw significant warming on Monday, producing widespread rollerballs and pinwheels, though no avalanches were reported. Cloud cover increased by early afternoon, helping keep wet avalanche activity in check. A solid crust should form on these slopes overnight, but temperatures will warm again on Tuesday. While avalanches aren’t a given, the setup is there, and wet snow problems are worth keeping in mind.

    Look for small loose wet avalanches initiating in steep, rocky, treed, or cliffy terrain as the day warms. Wet activity should remain limited in size, but conditions may change as the surface crust breaks down and the snow surface warms again. Keep an eye on what’s happening above you. Rollerballs and very small loose wet avalanches are clear signs the snow surface is warming and becoming unstable.

    (4/10/2024)

    Rollerballs and wet loose avalanches often start where snow sheds from trees and rocks.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs are often a thing of the past four days after the last round of snow and wind, but a few exceptions remain this time. Fresher slabs may still exist in high-alpine terrain where winds were just strong enough to continue transporting snow. Also, two human-triggered slab avalanches on Sunday in West North are a reminder that this problem hasn’t fully faded.

    Use scoured surfaces, cornices, and subtle changes in snow depth and stiffness to pinpoint where rogue wind slabs may still be lurking. Use extra caution in wind-loaded terrain, especially in exposed alpine areas. Even a small slab can carry you through rocky, rugged terrain and have serious consequences.

    (12/28/2025)

    This steep, cross-loaded terrain feature produced a human-triggered avalalanche on Sunday in West North

    Photo: Benjamin Pontecorvo

Avalanche Discussion

South-facing slopes in West Central are expected to start the day firm and crusty, while northerly aspects continue to hold colder, softer snow. Overall, the snowpack is settling, with the White Chuck snow stake losing another four inches on Monday.

Cold air and cloud cover over the passes limited warming and wet avalanche activity through much of the weekend into Monday. A weekend observation from the Foss River indicated snow surfaces on all aspects remained cold. Conditions began to shift on Monday, however, at least in West Central. White Chuck recorded a marked increase in incoming solar radiation—three to four times higher than either day over the weekend—along with a high temperature of 36°F at 5,000 feet. While Monday likely represented the peak warming so far, the same ingredients remain in place moving forward.

Wind slab concerns have lingered longer than usual this cycle. Snow that fell December 25–26 rests over slightly weaker snow above a December 24 crust, and this structure—combined with colder temperatures earlier in the weekend—has helped preserve pockets of instability. Human-triggered wind slab avalanches were reported three days in a row in West North, though none were reported on Monday. Aside from West North, no wind slab avalanches have been reported elsewhere in the Cascades over the past few days, but the structure remains relevant in wind-exposed, middle and upper-elevation terrain.

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