Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Warm temperatures and light rain will maintain the hazard of wet loose avalanches, especially on steep slopes with soft, unsupportable snow. Back off steep slopes when you see rollerballs or small avalanches. Give corniced ridgelines—and the slopes below them—plenty of space.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Light rain on Sunday afternoon could trigger wet loose avalanches on the last patches of dry snow hiding out on shaded slopes. Warming and water will also nudge other slopes toward instability as rainfall increases. Watch for rollerballs, pinwheels, or fresh wet avalanches. Avoid steep terrain where you see signs of instability or if the snow is wet and unsupportable.

     

     

    (4/12/2023)

    Wet loose avalanches can be human triggered as well as natural.

    Photo: NWAC Public Obs

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2–2.5

    There’s less sun in the forecast for Sunday, but continued above-freezing temperatures and afternoon rain will continue to undermine snow strength. Cornices, glide slabs, and other hanging features will keep weakening until it starts to cool off. Avoid travel directly beneath corniced ridgelines, snowy cliff faces, and glide cracks. These features can fail without warning, and even light rain could speed that up.

    (4/4/2025) 

    Corncices are melting, sagging and getting closer to the point where they peel off ridgelines.

    Photo: Robert Shughart

Avalanche Discussion

Small wind slabs may still exist at the highest elevations, but windy weather will keep most people out of that terrain. If you do head up high, use test slopes and wind-drifted features to gauge wind slab reactivity .

Warm temperatures and small amounts of wet avalanche activity continue to be reported across the Cascades. While there are still big crowns and massive debris piles out there, most are leftovers from the atmospheric river event and warm stretch in late March. Observations tend to arrive late in the spring, but it’s likely there was additional wet loose activity, cornice falls, and glide avalanches on Saturday—even if we don't hear about until Sunday.

Clouds and light wind will increase on Sunday as a storm approaches. While a bit of rain may fall Sunday evening, precipitation amounts look limited for West Central. Snow levels should gradually lower overnight into Monday morning. Any new snow accumulation will likely be light, but upper elevations may pick up several inches by Monday morning—especially in wind-loaded terrain. 

Regions covered