East Slopes South

The snowpack in the mountains is thin, and generally, early season hazards are a greater concern than avalanches. Near the Cascade Crest, you may find isolated small pockets of unstable wind drifted snow at upper elevations, near exposed ridges. Use caution in steeper terrain where small avalanches or falls can have high consequences if you impact obstacles such as rocks or stumps. 

Thanks for reading our first forecast of the season! 

Access to many areas of the eastern Cascades is challenging, and we have limited information about the snowpack. Many trailheads only have 5-10" of snow, and winter travel off established roads and trails is difficult. If you are headed out into the mountains this weekend, be prepared for long approaches on nearly bare ground. Many motorized areas have limited snowpack, and most have yet to begin grooming operations. Sticking to established roads and trails may be the best option if you find enough snow to travel. 

There may be slightly elevated hazard in areas of the zone closer to the Cascade Crest in the HWY410 corridor. While observations are limited, strong winds and new snow may have built slabs on lee slopes near ridgelines in alpine areas. You will most likely encounter these small pockets of wind transported snow at high elevations on exposed ridgelines. Use visual clues, such as drifts of snow behind rocks and trees, to indicate wind direction. Consider lower-angle routes if you observe actively blowing snow or snow that looks rounded, pillowlike, and sounds hollow.

Many areas on the eastern slopes of the Cascades enjoyed an early start to winter at the beginning of November, receiving 8-10" of snow down to valley bottoms. Prolonged, cold, dry weather followed this storm, transforming this snow into weak, angular, sugary snow crystals. During this dry weather, inversion conditions warmed upper elevations, and strong winds drifted this weak snow around. We received observations of surface hoar growth and weak snow in the Mt. Aix and Darland Mountain areas. Recent snowfall buried this weak layer up to 10" in some locations. Warm temperatures over the last 24hrs have helped to strengthen and round these snow grains, and an NWAC forecaster found a strong and well settled snowpack at nearby Crystal Mountain. There is still some uncertainty about the extent and distribution of this weak snow layer. When traveling on sheltered northern aspects, it is important to dig down and determine if this persistent weak layer exists beneath the new snow. Avoid traveling on steep terrain if you find a weak sugary layer of snow or feel the snowpack collapse beneath you. 

Saturday will be a transition day before a stronger winter storm begins to push into the mountains on Saturday night. This storm will track north to south, favoring the northern and western Cascades but expect 3-4" of snow with strong winds to fall in the East South zone.If you take advantage of the calm before the storm on Saturday, let us know what you find by submitting an observation.