East Slopes Central

Lowering freezing levels will limit avalanche concerns. Your bigger hazard will likely be long, sliding falls in steep terrain and challenging travel.  While triggering an avalanche is unlikely, still practice safe travel rituals and equip yourself with the proper gear for slick mountain travel.

Gradual cooling will continue on Thursday as freezing levels drop to around 5000 ft by the afternoon. This cooling trend will only continue to lock up the middle and upper elevation snowpack and weaken surfaces along northerly aspects. While avalanches are only becoming more unlikely with cooling temperatures, travel hazards such as slide-for-life surfaces are also becoming more widespread. 

The long, clear nights formed a robust surface crust, despite overnight temperatures remaining above freezing at upper elevations. Inversions have kept lower elevations east of the Cascade Crest much colder. Observers are using this high pressure to venture into more remote parts of the zone. Observations consistently report minimal avalanche activity or signs of instability. Northern and shady slopes are staying frozen during the day, while sunny slopes are softening nicely into corn by the afternoon.

Our already meager snowpack took a beating during this long, warm, dry spell and is now very thin with open creeks and holes in many areas. The Wenatchee Mountains are in particularly rough shape with patchy snow, barely enough for anything resembling on-snow recreation. At upper elevations and closer to the Crest, a more robust, albeit icy and challenging snowpack exists.