Avalanche forecast

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Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could still trigger avalanches in recently wind-drifted slabs of snow that formed over the weekend. Likely locations to trigger one of these avalanches would be ridgelines, the base of cliffs, and steep rolls in open terrain. Use caution in consequential terrain and steer around these stiff, textured drifts of snow if you see shooting cracks or other signs of instability. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    While there hasn't been much new snow lately, a shift in wind direction has likely scoured previously wind-loaded areas and formed fresh slabs on opposing aspects. While most wind slabs are likely to be small and isolated to steep terrain features at high elevations, even small avalanches could have high consequences in extreme terrain. Features such as steep ridgelines, confined chutes, and the base of cliffs are probable locations to trigger one of these avalanches. Wind slabs can be identified by textured snow surfaces, actively blowing snow, and rounded pillowlike drifts. You can also use quick hand pits to identify stiff wind-deposited snow over softer layers. If stiff snow slides easily in hand pits or you observe signs of unstable snow such as shooting cracks, steer around steeper, more consequential features.

    Long shooting cracks with textured, stiff and wind deposited snow like this one are indicators of wind slab instabilities. Photo: Drew Lovell

Avalanche Discussion

A general conditions summary for Sunday was cold temperatures, moderate to strong northerly winds, and little precipitation. Avalanche professionals and NWAC observers reported fresh wind slabs, particularly in alpine terrain. While soft snow exists in sheltered northerly terrain, variable crusts and wind-affected surfaces might be more common. Snow directly above the MLK crust is beginning to facet and weaken, and there have been propagating large column test results on this layer in both East Central and East North zones. While we don't believe this is currently an avalanche concern, we are tracking this as a layer of concern for future loading events. The snowpack near the eastern edge of the zone is more shallow, and you may find weak layers of snow more susceptible to triggering an avalanche. We've been tracking a layer of buried surface hoar from January 5th. Near Washington Pass, it's around 2.5ft below the snow surface but shallowly buried in the easternmost portion of the zone. In most locations, this layer is below the MLK crust, and triggering an avalanche on this layer is unlikely. However, stability tests do indicate the potential for propagation, so caution is warranted if you find areas where the MLK crust is thin, breakable, and decomposing. In the lower-elevation foothills, warm and wet conditions have transformed previously weak, low-elevation snow into melt forms. 

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