East Slopes South

Triggering an avalanche is unlikely, however, look for signs of unstable snow as you travel. Exercise caution in exposed areas where you may find isolated areas of wind-drifted snow. Firm travel will likely be one of your greatest challenges and hazards. 

It's been 4 days since the East-South has received any meaningful snow accumulation. Any old wind slabs that formed during this time are likely trending towards unreactive. At the highest of elevations on shaded slopes, you may notice some minor drifting of remaining snow. These pockets are expected to be isolated and shallow.  In these specific areas, avoid steep wind drifted slopes if you observe signs of unstable snow. 

With warming temperatures and sunshine on Thursday, you may notice the snow surface becoming moist, especially on steep south facing slopes. As the day heats up you may witness some rollerballs, or even small wet loose avalanches in extreme terrain. These are expected to be small and isolated since the snowpack has been beaten up by winds and warm-ups. 

We traveled in the Ahtanum Meadows area last Friday and found a generally deep snowpack with a few layers of concern that we are monitoring. At 6700ft, the MLK crust is approximately 1.5" thick, supportable for boots and snowmobiles. While the 1/4 surface hoar is buried and obvious beneath this crust, it is unlikely that you could trigger an avalanche on this deeper weak layer. We did identify a layer of weak faceted snow above the MLK crust at higher elevations. However, test results and other observations did not suggest a widespread problem on this layer. We are still tracking it as a potential layer of concern with additional snow. 

As always remember that low hazard, doesn't mean no hazard. A small avalanche in extreme terrain can be consequential. So, be observant and look for signs of unstable snow as you travel through the mountains.

If you travel into the east south, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation!