Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Although not particularly dangerous, Sunday will be a mixed bag of conditions depending on your timing, elevation, and location in the zone. Hazard is higher near the Cascade Crest, where precipitation will fall first as rain, then as snow, putting some strain on weak layers buried within the snowpack as well as large, looming blocks of snow at ridgelines. If you don't like what you see, you can default to smaller, simpler slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Although limited, our data for the zone shows that this problem has trended toward unlikely. That being said, there is uncertainty about how wet buried weak layers 1-1.5 deep in the snowpack are, and if some reinvigorated instability exists. Rain has fallen at upper elevations near the Cascade Crest and will continue to do so at least through Sunday morning. Areas to the east of the zone have wet snow, too, thanks to very warm temperatures and sunshine. You can dig in and see how far down the snow is wet within the snowpack. If you can easily make a snowball with a gloved hand or even squeeze water out, that snow is not dry. 

    The most suspect place you'd still trigger a slide is in exposed wind-loaded terrain, and weak layers can be buried even deeper here, too. Falling cornices in these areas could be just the big trigger needed to let loose a deadly avalanche. As freezing levels drop throughout the day and snow begins to fall at upper elevations, small wind slabs may also form in this same terrain.

    This problem is tricky to manage in the backcountry, especially when it's unlikely, but not impossible, to trigger a slide. If you plan to travel near a neighboring forecast zone, consider reading that forecast as well to equip your toolbelt with more information, given the limited data for East Central. Either way, ease into steeper terrain and be thoughtful about the complexity and exposure of slopes you plan to ski or ride. You're unlikely to get clear feedback from the snowpack before triggering a large slide in consequential terrain. 

    (3/6/2026)

    A snowpit dug recently on an east aspect at middle elevations in East Central. The upper snowpack and buried weak layers were already moist on this day, and are likely even more so on Sunday. Although the weak layers were healing, liquid water introduced to these layers could reinvigorate instability.

    Photo: Payton Schiff

  • Loose Wet

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

    Near the Cascade Crest, some rain fell earlier, and more will continue through Sunday morning, reaching upper elevations. The snow is moist to the east too, thanks to sun and warm temperatures. By Sunday morning, the snowpack surface will probably all be mushy snow pasted together. But anytime a measurable amount of rain falls on snow, we can't rule out the chance of unstable, loose snow falling down very steep terrain. It may take a wetted and weakened cornice falling down to trigger. Push on a small but very steep test slope to see if surface snow slides easily and entrains more as it moves down. If so, then steer around steep and long slopes where an avalanche could push you into terrain traps below. This problem will probably only present itself near the Cascade Crest.

Avalanche Discussion

The weak layers we've been tracking are the 2/13 buried surface hoar and facets around the 2/7 crust. These two layers are very close together and can often appear as a single, weak layer. Their depth and prominence vary across the zone, especially on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations, where little snow exists to begin with. Despite limited data points, we have growing confidence that these layers are healing. For the last three days, snow professionals at Mission Ridge and the Salmon La Sac have reported no notable snowpack test results associated with these layers, and no new avalanches have been reported since March 2nd. It is noteworthy, however, that Mission Ridge Pro Patrol reported the snowpack getting wet down to the 2/7 crust on Saturday. It is also significant that more recent instability associated with these layers has been reported in the nearby East North zone. We have no data for the northern end of the zone, and for all we know, conditions could be more similar to East North than the rest of East Central.

Prepare for a steep entry fee to get to higher elevation terrain where enough snow exists for on-snow recreation. Blewett Pass and Icicle Creek remain un-ski/sled-able. Trailheads and groomed roads are very patchy until you get to at least middle elevations. Give yourself extra time and precaution to negotiate these conditions.

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