Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

You could very easily trigger a large avalanche on Friday, in places with deep new snow or wind-loaded snow. The heaviest precipitation is focused on the southern volcanoes, along with the greatest avalanche danger and the potential for large to very large avalanches. Stay clear of and out from underneath steep slopes.  

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    2–3

    Heavy snowfall is expected to continue on Friday. with feet of new snow since Thursday morning. Extreme winds accompanied the snowfall and will remain at moderate to strong speeds. Avalanches could occur on any steep slope where new snow exists, with even deeper avalanches in areas of wind-loaded snow. A new crust formed Wednesday night (the 3/12 crust), and this could act as a sliding surface for future avalanches. With such strong recent wind, there could be extra deep snow in unusual locations, such as midway down on leeward slopes, in between trees, or well below cliff bands.

    There's just no sugar coating it; there's a lot of new and wind-loaded snow out there, and the avalanche danger is the real deal. Human-triggered avalanches are very likely, and a natural avalanche cycle isn't out of the question. If triggered, these avalanches could be large to very large, reaching down to the 3/12 crust.

    Keep it simple, stick to lower-angle terrain on Friday, and avoid traveling beneath steep slopes.

    (2/25/2026)

    A very large (D3) avalanche at Crystal Mountain on 2.24

    This avalanche was a persistent slab, but larger avalanches like this may occur on Friday.

    Photo: Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol

  • Loose Wet

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

    Snow levels could climb up to 5,000 feet overnight into Friday, likely producing wet avalanche activity at lower elevations. You're most likely to trigger one first thing Friday morning, as temperatures are still warm.  As the day progresses, temperatures are expected to cool, and wet avalanches may become less reactive.

    This problem may be dwarfed by the surrounding storm and wind-slab avalanche danger throughout the zone, but it must still be taken seriously. With so much recent snowfall, any avalanche could entrain large amounts of snow and potentially bury you. If the snow starts to feel wet and heavy underfoot, or you notice trees and rocks shedding their snow, wet avalanche danger may be on the rise. Steer toward lower-angle terrain that's clear of steeper terrain above.

    (2/6/2026)

    Wet loose avalanche activity in February. Similar avalanches could occur due to the warm and wet conditions on Friday

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

A serious storm cycle continues to batter the West South. It's been a wild 24 hours, with extreme winds, heavy snow-rain, power outages, and trees on roads! Wednesday night brought a significant warm-up, with snow transitioning to rain to as high as 6,000'. By Thursday morning, temperatures dropped, and snow returned to lower elevations. As of 5 pm on Thursday, most areas have 8-13" of dry snow on top of a noticeable crust (the 3/12 crust) that formed from Wednesday night's warm-up. Up to 18" of recent snow exists below the 3/12 crust.Our friends at the USGS reported large to very large avalanche activity on Wednesday night on the south side of Mt Saint Helens. And observers near Paradise reported numerous crowns and loud, natural avalanche activity as well.

The snowfall isn't stopping on Friday, and neither is the avalanche danger. Consistent snowfall is expected for most of the zone, with greater intensity focused around Mt Rainier and Mt Saint Helens. Paradise and White Pass could receive an additional two feet of snow by Friday evening. The 3/12 crust could quickly find itself multiple feet beneath the surface. Ridgeline winds are still expected to be moderate to strong through the day.

This storm system has brought incredible amounts of precipitation to the zone, especially around Mt Saint Helens, and current information has been exceptionally limited. With the limited information, there is greater uncertainty as to what is happening in the hard-to-reach places, such as upper elevations. What we do know is that it's been storming nonstop, and multiple feet of fresh snow and extreme wind loading have hammered the snowpack. This is not the time to be pushing into steep terrain. If you're headed out into the backcountry on Friday, stick to lower-angle terrain, with minimal exposure to steep slopes above and around you. 

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