Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Happy holidays from the NWAC Team! 

Despite the relative calm before the storm, continued snow and wind will build slabs on exposed slopes near and below ridgelines, where triggering an avalanche remains possible. Watch for blowing snow, textured surfaces, and chalky, pillow-like drifts, and consider avoiding steep terrain where you find them. Look out for changing conditions and plan to back at the car well before dark as a major weathermaker makes landfall on Wednesday night.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    While we can't rule out a deeper avalanche breaking on or near the Solstice Crust, we expect any wind slab avalanches to be primarily formed from Wednesday’s new snow. This means you should be able to see these slabs being made in real-time, provided you have good visibility. Wind slabs are most sensitive during and soon after formation, so look at exposed ridgelines and if you observe blowing snow, give a wide berth to steep, lee slopes that are being actively loaded. 

    Remember that light to moderate winds may form relatively soft slabs that may not feel like much of a slab below your feet.  While shooting cracks are clear signs of instability, you may not experience any cracking on Wednesday. You can use small test slopes and hand pits to help gauge for reactivity, but if you notice active loading, your safest option is to avoid wind-loaded terrain altogether. If you encounter a zone with more intense snowfall or stronger winds, expect more sensitive slabs and increased avalanche danger.  

    (12/8/2024)

    Visual clues such as actively blowing snow, fresh cornices, or pillow-like drifts can help identify wind-loaded slopes to avoid.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Cream cheese, schmoo, thick, and peanut butter were all words used to describe the new snow on Tuesday. The higher elevations saw close to 5", while the lower and middle elevations only squeezed out an inch or two. Both the high density and small quantity of snow likely prevented significant slab formation while warm temperatures should have helped to settle older wind slabs. Crystal and White Pass Pro Patrol reported minimal signs of instability and not much in the way of new slabs. 

Wednesday brings light to moderate precipitation and increasing winds as a major winter storm makes its way into the WA Cascades. We expect feet of snow throughout the rest of the week. As the snow stacks up, avalanche danger will spike. This storm should impact your travel plans on Wednesday, even if most of its impact will be felt after dark. A slight shift of only a few hours could change avalanche and travel conditions earlier in the afternoon. Aim to be near your exit point with time to spare and be willing to change your plans if heavier snow starts to fall. The volcanoes will likely see more snowfall during the day and conditions could deteriorate even earlier there than in the rest of the zone.

Finally, travel through the lower elevations remains slow and arduous with many obstacles just barely covered by the recent snow. Allow extra time to manage these hazards.

If you make it out on Wednesday, please send us an observation! 

Regions covered