Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago.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

Highlights

Avoid travel on or beneath steep slopes as snowfall changes to rain, and the snow surface becomes wet and mushy. This includes gullies connected to larger terrain above. If you observe widespread wet avalanche activity, assume HIGH danger and call it a day.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Rain on dry snow is never a good time—unless you’re a fan of wet avalanches. Rainfall isn’t expected to be particularly intense, but it will be enough to get some wet snow moving downhill. Most people will want to avoid steep slopes holding wet, sloppy snow. Flat terrain directly below steep slopes is also suspect, as wet avalanches can start higher on a slope and run far into flatter terrain below. 

    Smaller wet avalanches can also step down into slabs and become much larger. Snow shedding from trees, rollerballs, and small wet avalanches are the first signs that the mountains are getting ready to shed wet snow. Once you see these, expect bigger avalanches to follow.

    (12/9/2025)

    It's likely we will see a repeat of this sort of avalanche activity in the coming week.

    Photo: Jere Burrell - Guided Exposure

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Heavy, wet snowfall overnight will create a layer of dense snow over colder, lighter snow below. This problem will mainly exist at upper elevations, which is also where few people are likely to travel on Monday as the weather should be basically terrible. However, you might still find slabs of drier snow at mid-elevations in the morning.

    Small test slopes, hand pits, and other simple tests can help gauge how well the new snow is bonding. Shooting cracks and recent avalanches are red flags that the snow is unstable and that you may trigger avalanches on steep slopes. As usual, the greatest hazard will be on slopes where wind has drifted snow into thicker or more sensitive slabs.

    (12/23/2024)

    Shallow storm slabs often release on slightly softer, weaker snow below.

    Photo: Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol

Avalanche Discussion

Monday’s forecast is a bit tricky. Not so much in wondering what happens when rain falls on dry snow—we already know how that plays out. The real issue is the timing of rising snow levels versus when the bulk of the precipitation arrives.

As it stands now, most of the precipitation should fall overnight as snow at mid and upper elevations, which should limit the amount of water available to saturate and weaken the upper snowpack. However, a few subtle changes in the weather could cause avalanche danger to jump to High very quickly. Be on the lookout for heavier precipitation or warmer temperatures first thing in the morning, as these will be the first signs the day may be more dangerous than expected.

A quiet Sunday morning in the mountains gave way to a blustery afternoon as winds increased and began drifting snow. Plenty of wind transport was observed, and people found fresh wind slabs, but for the most part they were shallow and small. A bit of settlement seemed to keep the loose dry problem in check—or perhaps most steep slopes had already been ridden on Saturday and all the loose snow had already sluffed off.

Regions covered