Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Conditions will be very dangerous on Thursday, with larger and more reactive slides happening at higher elevations. Avoid all steep slopes, and if there are significant red flags like whumphing or natural avalanches, then avoid all avalanche terrain, including beneath large avalanches where a slide would stop. When in doubt, avoid all avalanche terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    2–2.5

    Peak avalanche activity likely occurrs Wednesday night during the most intense precipitation, but this isn't your usual PNW snowpack, where slopes will stabilize in a few hours. Expect avalanches to be more reactive than expected, and spread wider than you're used to on Thursday. Human-triggered avalanches could be very likely, and natural avalanches are possible. 

    Avoid all steep slopes, and if you make your way towards the alpine, or see evidence of recent natural avalanches or experience whumphing, stay away from areas beneath avalanche paths as well. This isn't a day to push your luck. 

    (3/11/2026)

    Crown of a large slab triggered from the ridge just above in the Baker backcountry. Slope was actively getting loaded with wind-drifted snow.

    (SS-D2-ASr-I)

    Photo: Lee Lazzara

Avalanche Discussion

This isn't your average PNW snow storm - a layer of almost two feet of light, fluffy snow sits under heavier and more wind-affected snow from late Wednesday. Cooling temperatures, more gale force winds, and another foot of snow overnight will result in plenty of natural avalanches. By Thursday, wind will back off to a mere moderate breeze, and another six inches of snow should fall. We don't expect snow to stabilize as quickly as it commonly does, since it will likely take longer for the thick layer of low-density snow to adjust. 

Forecasters and observers in the Baker backcountry on Wednesday found quickly decreasing stability Wednesday afternoon. Large soft slab avalanches were easily triggered, although natural avalanches weren't reported yet. Many of these failures were in a mid-storm layer. The avlaanches they did trigger were surprising in being wider and larger than expected. 

This storm produced over two inches of water since March 8 by forecast time on Wednesday in most areas of the zone, which could translate to 2 or more feet of snow capped by a heavier layer. Drifts could be enormous, and this almost feels like the start of winter now that it's March. 

Regions covered