Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Even though our stormy week is coming to a close, dangerous avalanche conditions still exist in the mountains. Stiff slabs formed by Thursday's wind may trigger easily on steep slopes. If the sun comes out for an extended period, the recent storm snow could fail in various ways. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Thursday was extremely windy in the West South zone. With so much low-density snow near the surface, it was the perfect setup to create wind slabs in leeward terrain. The winds should start to calm down by Friday, but the damage has already been done. Look for slabs near ridgelines, rocky features, or on convex rollovers. Since the winds were so fierce,  you may even find them lower down in the terrain than you're used to.

    If you encounter wind-stiffened snow that feels hollow, retreat the way you came and find another route. The same logic applies if you notice long shooting cracks or see cornice collapses. These slabs could fail easily and break widely, particularly at mid and upper elevations where they'll likely be larger.

    (1/8/2026)

    A major wind event on 1/8 easily transported snow and loaded leeward terrain. Wind loading was observed well below ridgeline down in the trees near Crystal Mountain and White Pass.

    Photo: Shane Robinson

Avalanche Discussion

What a week it has been in the West South zone. We're measuring new snowfall in feet, and on Thursday, we had a significant wind event that blew it all around. Observations from along the crest indicate significant snow transport onto leeward slopes, even at lower elevations or in treed areas. Both natural and human-triggered slides were reported, albeit small, in middle elevation terrain. As we look forward to Friday and the upcoming weekend, a pattern shift is on the horizon with generally benign weather expected through Saturday afternoon. That doesn't mean that avalanche activity is over and everything is good to go, however. 

Apart from the wind slabs, you could encounter solar-induced avalanche activity on Friday. Now that the storm is over, our hunch is that a combination of sunshine and a general warming trend will affect the snow surface. How that actually plays out in terms of avalanches could be interpreted in a few different ways.

There could be your run-of-the-mill loose slides on steep, sun-exposed slopes. Or, with such low-density snow on the surface, a bit of solar input could be all that's needed for the storm snow to "slab up" and become a bit upside-down. In this scenario, there could be a spike in slab reactivity, especially in terrain where it's often easier to trigger avalanches, such as convex rollovers.

No matter what kind of avalanche character a slide has, we expect it to occur in the recent snow above the 1/3 crust. This interface is roughly 2 to 2.5 feet below the surface in most areas of the zone.

The new snow is certainly helping increase coverage and thus travel throughout the mountains. But those obstacles that were easily visible a few days ago are now buried just under the surface. Holes and creeks may be more hidden than in previous days, with only light and fluffy snow above them. In fact, the new snow could be considered a hazard. Don't get pushed over into a place you can't get out of easily. Keep your friends in sight and be prepared to lend a helping hand.

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