East Slopes South

The recent storm did little to change conditions and avalanches remain unlikely. You may see rollerballs, pinwheels, and other signs of wet snow on steep sunny slopes, but they should pose little hazard to backcountry riders. Your biggest concern may be rough travel on firm, icy surfaces.

As anticipated, not much new snow accumulated on Monday for the East Slopes of the Cascades. However, as you travel closer to the crest, you may find 1-2in of recent snow over a stout crust buried on Valentine's Day. With another day of sunny weather, you may be able to trigger very small wet loose avalanches that slide easily on the crust. Travel cautiously near terrain features such as cliffs or rocks that may increase the consequences of being pushed off your feet. Expect challenging travel over icy surfaces and be prepared to navigate many exposed obstacles and open creeks. Cooler temperatures will likely make surfaces slow to soften in the afternoon so bring appropriate equipment to avoid uncontrollable slides on steep slopes.

Last weekend, NWAC forecasters traveled to Darland Mountain in the East South zone and found a strong and stable snowpack. You can read more about the conditions in the observation. Unfortunately, many southern aspects and ridges melted out to bare ground, clear evidence of the extended dry, warm weather of January and early February. Check out more information about current snow depth climatology throughout the region HERE. Thankfully, valley inversions have preserved some snow at lower elevations, so the riding conditions and groomed trails are still open to travel.