Avalanche forecast

West 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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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Anticipate rising temperatures, more sun, and wet avalanches at all aspects and elevations. Limit travel on or below steep slopes where the snow is thick, unsupportable, and wet. Don’t linger under cliffs still holding snow, cornices, or glide cracks.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    More sun and warmer temperatures are forecast for Friday. While lots of slopes warmed and already produced wet loose avalanches earlier in the week, there are still some considerations.

    • Northerly, higher elevation slopes were observed as moistening up on Thursday. This means we could start to see wet avalanches in places where minimal activity has occurred so far.
    • Cornices and other hanging snow features will weaken and start to fall. While it’s unlikely you will be below one when this occurs, you still don’t want to be in the way. Falling cornices and glide avalanches can also trigger larger avalanches on the slope below.
    • Prolonged warming going into the weekend could produce larger avalanches on slopes that previously avalanched. These are also unlikely and also difficult to anticipate. The only way to lower risk is to reduce your exposure to steep terrain overhead.

    Both natural and human-triggered wet avalanches are possible. Pay attention to any snow that starts to move with you when descending. Keep track of what’s above you. Active signs of instability and small avalanches are warning that bigger avalanches are possible.

    (4/13/2021)

    Wet loose avalanches start small but can grow large, given enough snow to entrain and room to run.

Avalanche Discussion

The weak storm on Thursday amounted to pretty much nothing, with minimal precipitation by day’s end. On the other hand, wind speeds in some areas were high enough to drift any snow available for transport, and a few inches of new snow may fall overnight.  The likelihood is low you will find a wind slab. It’s still worth keeping an eye out for pockets of wind-drifted snow if you make it to the alpine, especially with consequential terrain below.

As usual for this time of year, observations were limited to one group that made it to upper-elevation terrain in the North Cascades. They were able to easily trigger shallow wet loose avalanches in the top few inches of snow. Dry, settled snow was found on northerly, upper-elevation slopes in the morning but the snow surface in this sort of terrain was starting to become moist in the afternoon.

 

 

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