Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

As the sun shines intensely, expect an uptick in wet avalanche activity, including natural avalanches, with many focused in steep rocky areas. When snow gets soggy and wet around you or on overhead slopes that you may not even see, shift your travels away from steep slopes and areas beneath them where avalanches will run to. You could trigger an avalanche in a lingering pocket of wind-drifted snow at higher elevations, so consider steering around large steep slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Conditions and avalanche danger can change quickly under the strong spring sun. Slopes that were dry or crusty can rapidly become wet and unstable.

    Follow the sun—east in the morning, south midday, and west in the afternoon—and expect avalanche activity to increase as slopes heat up. This time of year, only small, due-north aspects are likely to stay cool.

    Expect rollerballs followed by small wet avalanches. You can trigger wet avalanches on steep, moist slopes, while natural avalanches are most likely in steep, rocky terrain and can grow larger as they move downhill. Avoid lingering beneath steep slopes, gullies, or avalanche paths that are heating up, especially if you see rollerballs or wet loose activity nearby.

    (2/5/2026)

    Wet loose slides on a sun-exposed slope originating in steep, rocky terrain. 

    Photo: Andy Harrington

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Southern portions of the zone received a foot or more of snow at higher elevations on Thursday. Much less exists further north, so avalanche conditions could be very different depending on where you are in the zone. Consider avoiding large, steep slopes where dry snowfall amounts reach close to a foot, which is probably mainly on shady, upper elevation terrain.

    If you experience long, shooting cracks, recent avalanches, or whumphing, those are clear signs to avoid travel on steep slopes. Given the wide range of conditions across the zone and limited recent information, evaluate a slope's stability with test slopes, hand pits, and other simple tests to assess the bond of new snow layers over the underlying snow. Avalanches could be larger and more reactive in wind-loaded areas. When in doubt, stick to lower angled, simpler terrain. In extreme terrain, the consequences of being caught in even a small slide are amplified. 

    (4/3/2026)

    A small, D1.5 human-triggered soft slab avalanche that released in a wind slab near a ridgeline plus a rocky outcropping, where drifts tend to collect. This slope rolled over, becoming steeper and unsupported, commonly where it is easier for avalanches to be triggered. 

    Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mtn Rescue

Avalanche Discussion

On Friday, natural and human-triggered slab avalanches were reported in both the West North and Snoqualmie Pass zones (media gallery). Over the last few days, the West Central zone has received more snow than these areas, and we suspect there has been similar activity here as well. 

There have also been small rounds of wet loose avalanches and rollerballs in neighboring zones over the last two days. Saturday will get warmer and sunnier, so we expect more aspect-dependent activity than recent days, although in most areas, we suspect surfaces have already moistened and formed a subsequent crust, so it might take a bit more warming before avalanches initiate. 

Regions covered