Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

You can still find and trigger wind drifted pockets of snow on upper elevation features. Make sure to evaluate the snowpack beforehand, and have an exit strategy, if you travel onto steep slopes. South-facing slopes, now crusty from Saturday, may get damp enough for you to see small wet loose avalanches if skies stay clear into the afternoon. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Weather hasn't been as active in the last 24 hours, yet wind slab avalanches are still a concern. Near and above treeline slopes have plenty of low density snow to redistribute and form into thicker drifts. A skier triggered a large (D2) avalanche in the Baker backcountry on Friday. It was reported that companions were on the slope beneath where the avalanche was triggered and quickly had to move out of the way to avoid getting caught. 

    Slabs may be harder to trigger, but if you keep testing steep, wind-loaded slopes you're bound to find one that will avalanche. It may be harder to identify locations that are wind affected, as there may be lighter snow on top, hiding the smoother or textured visual clues typical of wind slabs. The drifts could be very soft, a subtle change from lower-density nearby areas. You can usually expect to find wind slabs just beneath ridgelines, around rocky outcropping, in gullies, or on steep rollovers.  Getting out on one steep slope successfully might not mean the neighboring one will act the same. Make sure to evaluate your surroundings constantly, and consider quickly changing your plans when you encounter differences in the snow from what you expect to see. When in doubt, stick to lower angle terrain. 

    (11/28/2022) Snow (or lack there of) in the trees can serve as a great clue to help you locate potentially wind loaded slopes. Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Skies cleared on Saturday and the weak December sun managed to cook south-facing slopes. Expect to find a crust on sun-affected terrain in the morning. Forecasts vary on timing for incoming cloud cover on Sunday, so we may see another day of melting snow surfaces and small wet loose avalanches or rollerballs. Meanwhile, you could still trigger small sluffs, or dry loose avalanches on steep terrain where low density snow still exists. 

We expect another pleasant day with plenty of backcountry users out on Sunday.   Try to avoid being on a slope with other people.  Even a small avalanche could be dangerous if there is a terrain trap beneath you. To sum it up,  the avalanche danger is moderate which means that it's still possible to trigger avalanches if you find the right wind slab. 

We've generally found stable snow in this zone, aside from newer surface instabilities. However, we don't have a clear picture about the entire snowpack yet, and in some areas throughout the Cascades, weaker snow has been found around crusts near the ground. Keep this in mind as you travel in the backcountry or expose yourself to larger slopes with more loading.  There are still higher risks of hitting trees and rocks during your travels, as we're not seeing a really deep coating of snow yet. Information about the snowpack is limited, so if you are out in the mountains, let us know what you encounter by submitting an observation. 

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