Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Any avalanches you trigger on Friday may be small, but they can still have serious consequences with cliffs, creeks, or other hazards in the runout. Be wary of steep slopes holding wind-drifted snow in the alpine and wet, unstable snow in terrain below.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wet snow and unreactive layering were reported up through mid elevations on Thursday. But you can still find dry snow and wind slabs if you get higher than that in the days ahead. Signs of previous wind transport, like scoured snow surfaces and fresh wind lips, can help you figure out where a wind slab might lurk. Track changes in snow stiffness as you gain elevation. Stiff, hollow, or drum-like snow is definitely a sign you found wind slab. Hard slabs can be difficult to evaluate with test slopes and sometimes fail unexpectedly when you have moved well out onto them. 

    (1/11/2025)

    Textured surfaces such as these are an easy visual clue that the wind has been active and wind slabs could exist on leeward slopes.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Loose Wet

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

    Temperatures will warm on Friday and continue to climb through the weekend, with increasing amounts of sun each day. Wet snow doesn’t always slide, but it’s one of the first signs that it could. Watch for snow shedding from trees, fresh rollerballs, and other signs of wet avalanche instability. Avoid traveling on or directly below steep slopes or similar terrain where you see any of the above, or where the snow is becoming mushy, wet, and unsupportable.

    (4/2/2026)

    The light might be flat, but you can still see the rollers that are signs of possible wet avalanche activity.

    Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mountain Rescue

Avalanche Discussion

Dry snow avalanche problems just didn’t seem to be on anyone’s radar today. The 4 to 8 inches of new snow from overnight was reportedly moist to begin with and warmed further with the greenhouse effect mid-morning. This led to a cycle of loose snow avalanches up to D1.5 on all aspects, running on slopes below rocky terrain.

Winds blew hard overnight, with gusts near 50 mph. Signs of wind effect were apparent, but no unstable slabs were reported as of late Thursday. It’s likely a different story at upper elevations, where temperatures were cooler and the snow stayed drier. Most low-elevation terrain saw rain instead of snow, but you can still find wet new snow above roughly 4,000 feet.

Regions covered