Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Sunshine and warm temperatures should create wet avalanche concerns on all directions of the compass dial. As things heat up, watch for fresh rollerballs and small point release slides originating from rocky terrain. Pay attention to what’s above you and steer clear of similar slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    We’re in the middle of a prolonged wet loose cycle as last week’s snow struggles to deal with warming temperatures and sunshine. There might be a thin crust in open areas on Sunday morning. Once this breaks down, that could be the start of the rollerball races. Fresh pinwheels and loose wet slides may roll down steep slopes. Many of these slides will occur on more northerly aspects. Fortunately, natural avalanches should be isolated to very steep rocky terrain. Be mindful of the slopes above you. When you notice moving snow, don’t hang out in similar areas.

    As the snow surface gets wet and sticky, you may trigger small wet loose slides on any steep slope. These push-o-lanches should be easy to predict and avoid. Sadly, you won’t be able to just change aspects; you’ll probably need to fall back to lower angled slopes.

    Most of these avalanches should stay relatively small. However, wet slides can pack quite a punch even if they aren’t very big. Don’t let one drag you off a cliff or into a creek. In larger terrain, some of these slides could grow big and scary. These longer running wet loose slides aren’t something to mess around with. 

Avalanche Discussion

This will be the last avalanche forecast for the 25-26 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through May 3rd. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter!

After several days of cool, snowy weather, spring came roaring back on Saturday. Temperatures shot into the 40s and even 50s across the zone. Partly cloudy skies in the morning gave way to more sunshine. Parades of rollballs quickly covered many slopes, including northerly aspects. Some slopes even produced sizable wet loose slides. 

So how will Sunday’s avalanche activity stack up to Saturday’s? After a day of significant wet loose activity, many slopes may have already run. A crust from Satuday night could also curtail the avalanche cycle. However, maybe the biggest question will be the sky. We’re expecting the thin clouds won’t be thick enough to hinder the impacts of the warm temperatures and sunshine. If conditions are cloudier than expected, there could be less unstable snow. 

Last week’s storm brought quite a bit of snow to the West South zone. Areas near the crest received 12-20 inches, while the volcanoes recorded around 2 feet. The new snow has been generally right side up and well bonded to the underlying crust. There’s still a chance you may find an isolated pocket of wind drifted snow on high northerly aspects. These slabs would be most likely on the volcanoes and near the upper edge of our avalanche forecast (~8000ft). 

During warm weather like this, cornices may collapse or snow shed from rocks. Fortunately, there’s not much left to fall down, but some lingering overhead hazard remains. Pay attention to what’s above you and limit time under these looming blocks of snow. 

While the new snow certainly helped coverage, it’s still thin out there, especially at lower elevations and on southerly aspects. Open creeks, random holes, and bare ground are common. However, even in this weird season, there’s still fun snow higher in the terrain. Thanks for a great winter!!!

Regions covered