Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

Don’t let the sun blind your ability to identify dangerous pockets of wind-drifted snow. Any triggered avalanche has the potential to break wider and deeper than expected. So steer around pockets of snow that appear wind-drifted, especially if you see shooting cracks or hear whumping collapses. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong west winds will continue to drift new snow into thick, cohesive slabs. You’ll encounter the largest and most reactive slabs as you gain elevation into more wind-exposed terrain. Some of these wind-drifted slabs may be quite reactive and propagate widely if they rest on weak snow above a crust. Any triggered slabs have the potential to step down and be up to 2-3 ft thick in favored locations. 

    You’ll find these wind slabs on the leeward sides of ridges, below cornices, and under rock and cliff bands. You may also encounter them further down slopes than usual, like mid-slope features, due to recent strong winds. Use visual clues and look for textured surfaces, fresh cornice development, and pillow-like slabs at the surface to help you identify where the wind has been at work. Pull back and default to less exposed terrain if you notice shooting cracks under your feet or machine.

    (1/6/2024)

    You may be able to trigger similar sized avalanches on Sunday. This skier-triggered avalanche occurred in a wind-loaded area on an NE Aspect @ 6000 ft near Blewett Pass on Saturday. This avalanche likely stepped down into old snow from December.

    SS-AS-R2-D2-O

    Photo: Max Steed

Avalanche Discussion

 Observers reported endless signs of instability across the region on Saturday. Backcountry travelers had close calls and triggered avalanches in pockets of drifted snow in-addition to many reports of red flags like shooting cracks and reactive storm snow. All these observations are still relevant for the east-south since parts of the zone did receive significant new snow, which importantly now rests over a poor structure. 

Saturday's storm was a good producer for parts of the East South. Weather stations near Bumping Lake reported up to 10 inches of new snow. However, significantly less snow fell near Green Lake ( 3 inches) and closer to White Pass. 

You may be hungry to find the goods on Sunday with the sun in the forecast, but be sure to temper your stoke as the new snow will need some time to settle. New snow has been falling on a weak structure in many areas. Observers region-wide have been reporting weak faceted snow, propagating test results, and audible collapses. These are all clear signs that weak layers lurk and will be tested as more weight is added. Your most significant layer of concern will likely be a crust that harbors weak snow above and below ( and in some cases buried surface hoar), that sits about 6-15 inches below the snow surface at this point. 

NWAC forecasters were out in Ahtanum Meadows on Tuesday. The roads were snow-covered and groomed from the snowpark, but continuous coverage off-trail did not begin until around Colver Flats (6200ft). Up near Darland Mountain, snow depths were between 2-3ft. You can check out the full observation here. 

Early season conditions still exist across much of the zone. Look for hidden hazards such as downed trees, stumps, creeks, and rocks. These types of hazards can easily exacerbate the consequence of even a small avalanche

If you get out let us know what you see by submitting a public observation!

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