Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

At upper elevations, you could trigger slab avalanches in wind-drifted snow. Steep slopes below sharp ridgelines and very steep slopes are the most likely places to encounter them. Expect a dramatic increas in avalanche danger on Tuesday night with warm, heavy precipitation. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Look for deep, stiff drifts below corniced ridgelines or textured surfaces to identify wind-loaded slopes. You can use small convexities within lower-angle terrain to assess how wind-affected snow reacts to your weight. While we expect most slides to be small, the snowpack is shallow, and this type of terrain can carry higher consequences if you are carried over rocks or cliffs. Make frequent assessments of how wind-affected snow reacts before committing to larger, more complex terrain. 

    (11/15/2023)

    An example from last season of a skier-triggered avalanche in wind-loaded terrain. Washington Pass, 7200ft, 

Avalanche Discussion

Tuesday should be realtively quite with light snow and a chance for increasing southeast wind. A warm and wet storm will move in overnight and increase avalanche danger. The big question for Wednesday is if and where the precipitation will be rain and how much liquid water will enter the snowpack. The cold air east of Washington Pass will remain in place into this event, but as usual, it's too be determined if it can fend off the rain for the duration of Tuesday night. 

Over the past few days, the East North zone has been in a trickle-in pattern, with modest amounts of new snow falling daily, totaling around 10 inches. On Monday, observers in the Hairpin Valley and headwaters of the Twisp River reported blowing snow and signs of instability at upper elevations including shooting cracks in wind-drifted snow. They also triggered small soft slab avalanches on steep convexities, over 40 degrees. On Sunday, an NWAC forecaster in the Washington Pass area reported a generally stable snowpack with limited wind slab formation at upper elevations of Blue Lake Peak. The 12/7 melt-freeze crust is buried 10-16 inches deep and is associated with weak, faceted snow on shaded slopes. Near Rainy Pass, the 12/7 crust is much more robust, while it's thin and brittle on Shaded slopes near and east of Washington Pass. 

Take care as you travel - many early-season obstacles, such as trees, rocks, logs, and creeks, are exposed or sometimes barely hidden in areas and elevations with low snow.

You can contribute to the avalanche forecast. Please let us know what you see in the mountains by submitting an observation. 

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