East Slopes North

If you're traveling near and west of the Cascade crest, you may find a dusting of new snow.  You could find very small wind-drifted slabs at the highest elevations. Expect a possible increase in avalanche danger Sunday night. 

Since midweek, light snow showers may have amounted to a few inches of new snow near and west of Washington Pass. Westerly winds may be strong enough to form very shallow drifts. While we don't expect avalanches to pose a significant hazard, information is very limited.

The spring road clearing operation on North Cascades Highway, SR 20 is currently underway midweek. The road is likely gated at Silver Star milepost 171. With access becoming limited and professional operations in the area closing for the season, your observations are as important as ever. If you're in the mountains, let us know what you see. 

A widespread natural wet loose avalanche cycle occurred last weak in the Washington Pass vicinity.  While recent avalanche activity centered on wet snow avalanches, there's still some winter-like layering to keep tabs on. On wind-sheltered NW-NE aspects near and above treeline, observers found near-surface facets 1-2 feet below the surface and often above a crust. This weak snow layer was involved with persistent slab avalanches near the Mount Baker ski area and other parts of the Cascades. A deeper persistent weak layer still exists in the zone that was responsible for avalanches in early March. You can find the layer about 3 feet deep, sandwiched between eroding crusts on NW-NE aspects near and above treeline. This could be a culprit for wet slab avalanches later in the spring. When warm temperatures warm again and melt the snow, watch for when this layer becomes wet and weak.