Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Watch for wet avalanches on sunny slopes where you find soft, moist surface snow. Cornices could fall as the sun comes out and temperatures warm. Don't linger under cornices and move off of steep slopes with weak, wet snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Watch for wet avalanches starting to occur as surfaces melt. If you see fresh rollerballs, move to lower-angle or shadier terrain. Just like cornices, be aware of being under complex terrain. Limit your exposure to overhead hazards, if you think natural avalanches could come down from above.

    Warm temperatures and sun could be enough to melt old crusts. Wet avalanches could be most consequential on slopes that haven't already formed stout crusts. Use extra caution if you see avalanches gouging below surface layers. If this happens, avalanches could become dangerously large.

    (2/22/2024)

    A large natural wet avalanche occurred on February 22nd on Big Kangaroo Peak. SW, 7,800ft

    Photo: Will Govus

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2

    Be aware of any overhead cornice hazard, especially if you don't have a clear view of the terrain above you. When traveling on ridges, keep plenty of distance from the edge and be sure that you're traveling on the part of the mountain and not on overhung snow.

    Falling cornices are a hazard in their own right, but they can also trigger avalanches on slopes below. Avoid lingering underneath these behemoths, especially as the sun warms them. The exact timing of cornice falls is tricky and unpredictable. Sometimes, they can fall well after the warmest time of day. 

    (1/25/2024)

    An example of a natural avalanche (D1.5) was initiated by cornice fall during a warm-up in January. Poster/Pika Pk NE, 7,2000ft

    Photo: North Cascades Mountain Guides

Avalanche Discussion

On Thursday, observers reported natural wet avalanches on steep, sunny slopes. Some, like the one on Kangaroo Ridge (pictured above) were large.

Observers reported a number of small skier-triggered and natural wind slab avalanches last week, primarily from upper elevations in wind-exposed terrain. While these avalanches shouldn't be a concern, you may be able to find a weak snowpack structure at upper elevations. 

On shady slopes, at mid and upper elevations, there is up to 1.5ft of recent snow over a stout crust from January 31st. Observers have found a thin layer of weak facets just above the 1/31 (elsewhere early February) crust. This weak layer may have been responsible for lingering wind slab instability in some places. With future storms on the horizon, we'll be watching the weak layer as a potential culprit for avalanches. Lower elevations hold substantially less new snow, if any, over the crust and often don't hold the associated facets. 

Snowpack information is limited outside of the Highway 20 corridor and Harts Pass. Let us know what you find if you get out into the backcountry!

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