Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago.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

A shift to warmer, sunnier weather will bring a change in avalanche problems. Avoid travel on or beneath steep slopes where you see rollerballs, small wet avalanches, or snow turning wet and mushy. Observations remain limited, and conditions vary widely across West Central. Check the forecast for the neighboring zone closest to your destination.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The likelihood of triggering a wind slab trending down, but you can still find wind-drifted snow and slabs in specific terrain features. The problem will be more pronounced where slabs rest uneasily over older weak layers a bit deeper in the snowpack.

    Active loading should come to an end, but signs of previous wind transport will remain. Look for fresh drifts, rounded pillows, textured snow surfaces, and stiff, hollow-sounding slabs. Be especially cautious below cornices, around cliff bands, and along cross-loaded gully walls. 

    Track slab thickness and stiffness as you gain elevation and move between aspects. Use small test slopes to assess reactivity. The simplest way to reduce risk is to avoid steep terrain features with obvious signs of prior wind loading.

    (2/20/2026)

    An example of the obvious signs of wind transport: cornice development, textured surfaces on the ridgeline, and smooth, stiff-looking snow on the shaded slope below.

    Photo: Mission Ridge Pro Patrol

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose avalanches will become possible if new snow reacts to the sun and warmer temperatures. Avalanche size will vary with how much recent snow has accumulated—expect larger, more consequential slides in areas that picked up the most new snow. Size also depends on terrain, as steep, sustained fall-line slopes can produce more powerful avalanches. But even a small wet loose avalanche can pose a serious risk if it carries you over a cliff, into a creek, or through rocks or trees. Keep track of sunny slopes overhead as the day warms.

    (3/17/2023)

    Wet loose avalanches frequently start when snow sheds off of rocks and onto the slope below.

Avalanche Discussion

Persistent weak layers remain a concern in zones surrounding West Central, and buried facets or surface hoar may linger beneath recent snow. Earlier this week, natural, explosive, and human-triggered avalanches in nearby areas likely failed on these persistent grains, showing the structure is still capable of producing slab avalanches in isolated terrain features.

In West North, recent snowfall exceeded the forecast, with observers reporting fresh slabs within the newest snow and at least one larger avalanche released during control work. While the new snow is beginning to settle and bond, instability has remained on sunny slopes where slabs sit on crust. 

At the same time, red flags like widespread whumphing and shooting cracks have been consistently reported in Stevens Pass and other zones.  We’re not calling it a clear, widespread, persistent slab problem in West Central, but you could still encounter one, especially in less-traveled terrain with fewer observations.

Regions covered