Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche danger starts the day at Low but will rise to Moderate as new snow and wind form thicker drifts, making human-triggered avalanches possible. Watch for fresh drifts six inches or deeper on steep slopes and avoid them. Any avalanches will be confined to the new snow, but keep in mind the hard, bumpy surfaces underneath and shallowly hidden hazards like old cracks or bare spots.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    It’s time for a mindset shift — snow is back, and avalanches are back with it. Early in the day, you probably couldn't trigger a slide. But as winds pick up and snowfall continues, thicker wind slabs will develop, increasing the likelihood of human-triggered avalanches.

    You’ll be able to easily track the depth of the soft new snow over the firm underlying layer. For now, we expect any avalanches to be limited to the new snow. Old surfaces are mostly hard and bumpy, which can make it harder for the new snow to slide—especially while the new layer remains shallow.A few isolated pockets of weaker surface snow may exist, allowing slides to occur more easily in those areas.

    During your outing, monitor new snow amounts and watch for signs of wind loading, such as textured surfaces or pillow-shaped drifts. Pay attention to firmer snow beneath you. Drifts will build in gullies, along ridgelines, and around features like rocks and steep rollovers. With a shallow new snow layer, simple hand pits in thicker drifts can help you gauge how reactive the snow is. Use small test slopes and look for warning signs, such as long, shooting cracks. When in doubt, avoid steep slopes with drifted snow around six inches deep or more—especially as those drifts continue to grow throughout the day.

    Example photo: Wind drifted snow around features like rock outcroppings, where it's more likely you can trigger an avalanche. Note the wind actively moving snow visible in this photo, too. 

Avalanche Discussion

Don’t forget about the firm snow surfaces lurking beneath the fluffy new snow. On steep slopes, the new layer will likely sluff easily, quickly exposing the hard, bumpy snow that’s been at the surface for weeks. This fresh coating may also disguise hidden hazards, such as recently melted-out bare patches, rocks, trees, or small glide cracks. 

After more than two weeks that began with an atmospheric river—bringing rain to the highest elevations—followed by warm, dry high pressure, we’re shifting back into a wet pattern for a few days. By the end of Wednesday, expect around six inches of new snow, followed by another 6 inches Wednesday night and about 6 more on Thursday. Snow levels will rise into mid elevations on Thursday. With the excitement of fresh snow returning, keep in mind that avalanche activity will be picking back up as well.

Regions covered