Avalanche forecast

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Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

You may encounter small avalanches of the dry and wet variety on Sunday.  Rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches are possible on steep sunny slopes.  You may find older winds slabs lingering at upper elevations.  

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    It's spring-time, so even on a relatively cool day in early April,  a mix of sunshine and daytime warming will increase the chances for wet loose avalanches on steep sunny slopes. 

    Most wet loose avalanches will be small, so you mainly need to consider your exposure from snow shedding off of cliff bands from above or getting pushed by a wet loose avalanche into a terrain trap like cliffs, rocks, or trees.  If you find yourself sinking into wet snow more than ankle deep or see rollerballs or natural wet loose avalanches on similar slopes, it's time to change location.  You can also choose cooler, shadier slopes or lower angle terrain.    

    You may find isolated areas of shallow older wind slabs hanging around at upper elevations.  Where you find areas of previously wind-drifted snow, evaluate the consequences of triggering a small wind slab in higher consequence terrain before jumping in. 

    (4/2/2024)

    Rollerballs on steep sunny slopes may become wet loose avalanches with increased daytime warming and sunshine. 

    Photo: Willie Webster

Avalanche Discussion

Up to 6" of new snow has accumulated above a crust since 4/3. Cloudy and cool conditions Thursday through Saturday have likely helped keep snow surfaces dry on many mid and upper-elevation slopes. The recent storm snow is still available for wet loose avalanches if we get a sunnier and warmer day.     

On the 4th, an observer on Big Craggy found light blowing snow and shallow new snow accumulation. In the middle of the week, WSDOT forecasters and road crews continued their work to clear Highway 20, Washington Pass. They saw natural loose wet avalanches to size D2 (large) on steep rock slabs. They also triggered some smaller wet avalanches with large explosives. Notably, they weren't able to trigger cornices that still loom over sunny slopes.

The snowpack is relatively straightforward. Warming temperatures late last weekend through early in the week drove wet loose avalanche activity. The 3/22 crust is the prominent layer about 1 foot below the surface on high elevation and shaded slopes. On March 31st, observers on Silverstar Mtn assessed the 3/22 crust and but didn't find any signs of instability or concern down to this layer.  If you dig about 3 feet below the surface, you can find remnants of old crust/weak layers, though they are no longer a concern for avalanches. 

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