Avalanche forecast

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

A significant storm will favor the Wenatchee, Teanaway, and Enchantment Mountains Friday night. Fresh wind slabs will form over a variety of old, potentially weak, surfaces. Give wind-loaded slopes a wide berth, especially at upper elevations where any slide could be much bigger.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong and gusty winds should form new slabs no matter where you are in the zone. The questions will be how big are they and what are they sitting on? With more snow expected in places like the Teanaway drainage and near Mission Ridge, you could encounter avalanches big enough to bury and kill you, especially higher in the terrain. 

    Prior to this storm, a variety of snow surfaces were reported around the zone. This included slick crusts, weak near surface facets, settled old powder, and spotty surface hoar. This variability will make it hard to tell how any one slope might react. Even frequent small slope tests or hand pits may only give you a partial picture. 

    With such strong and gusty winds, you could encounter slabs in some odd places including well below ridgeline and along the sides of mid-slope gullies. Unless you’re certain the slab is thin and relatively harmless, steer around steep wind-loaded slopes until this storm has the chance to play out. While we don't expect many natural avalanches. They aren't out of the question. Natural slides could occur during periods of intense wind loading. Don't linger in runouts below ridgelines. 

    (12/13/2024)

    Example: Is it windy? Don't overlook the obvious. Blowing snow should mean wind slabs until proven otherwise. 

    Photo: ONP Rangers

Avalanche Discussion

The avalanche danger you encounter during this storm will depend largely on where you are in the zone and your elevation. For areas closer to the Cascade Crest and north of the Wenatchee mountains, you will likely find less new snow and lower danger. Similarly, thin lower elevations snowpacks continue to limit the size and impact of avalanches. As you ascend, expect the hazard to increase, particularly in exposed locations. 

Early-season travel conditions continue to pose a real challenge. Downed logs, bushes,  shallowly buried rocks, and thinly covered roads make travel difficult. Give yourself extra time to manage these potential hazards. 

On Friday avalanche professionals in the Mission Ridge area noted increasing winds and blowing snow in the afternoon. Mission Ridge Ski Patrol also highlighted weak layers of faceted snow above a crust about a foot (30cm) below the surface. This layer failed in small column tests but didn’t show signs of propagation. Could that change with more snow? 

Regions covered