Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Recent strong winds and light accumulations could be what it takes to trigger a larger, more surprising avalanche, particularly in wind-loaded terrain. You may or may not receive any warning signs before you trigger an avalanche that breaks 1-2 feet deep. You can reduce the odds by sticking to slopes under 30 degrees, especially if they appear wind-stiffened. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Recent strong winds and light accumulations have built shallow slabs along ridgeline and these could be prime locations to trigger larger persistent slab avalanches. Recent precipitation accumulations have been light on the east side of the Cascades, so we have a fair amount of uncertainty about the reactivity of this persistent slab problem. That said, both small, fresh wind slabs and deeper persistent slabs are in the cards in wind-loaded terrain. Upper elevations and areas near the Cascade Crest will be the places where avalanches are easiest to trigger.  Avoid steep slopes below corniced ridgelines and areas with stiff, wind-textured surfaces.

    Most avalanches have been small, but with challenging access to the zone, we have considerable uncertainty, especially north of Lake Wenatchee and at upper elevations in the Stuart Range. Ease into terrain slowly, choosing moderate, sheltered, small slopes. This persistent slab problem may or may not provide any feedback before triggering a large avalanche. Your best mitigation tool will be avoidance. 

    (3/1/2026)

    An example of a recent human-triggered persistent slab on 2/28 in the East South zone. 

    HS- AMu-R2-D2-O @ NE, 6700'

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

The East Central zone was largely rain shadowed on Wednesday. Western reaches of the zone picked up light accumulations with plenty of winds. Temperatures have dropped thanks to lower freezing levels, so you’ll likely encounter a thin crust on slopes that previously held wet snow. 

You can generally find 8–12 inches of snow over persistent weak layers—the 2/13 buried surface hoar and facets near the 2/7 crust. Their depth and prominence vary across the zone, especially on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations. Despite limited data points, we have moderate confidence this weak snowpack structure exists across much of the zone.

On Saturday, backcountry travelers reported numerous whumpfing collapses on Big Jim Mountain near Leavenworth. In the Wenatchees, Mission Ridge Pro Patrol triggered a small avalanche on a cutbank that failed on buried surface hoar, confirming these weak layers remain active in study plots. On Friday, NWAC forecasters in the Teanaway found the buried surface hoar beginning to heal, while facets near the 2/7 crust remained weak. They also observed long shooting cracks in wind-drifted snow.

Direct avalanche observations from our zone remain limited, but nearby areas provide useful context. East North continues to produce large avalanches, Stevens Pass saw active conditions over the weekend, and a snowmobiler in East South triggered a persistent slab on Saturday that broke 2 feet deep. Given the weak snowpack structure in our zone, treat these reports as a warning when planning travel and discuss acceptable risk with your partners.

Regions covered