Avalanche forecast

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Additional light accumulations and strong winds could keep wind-loaded slopes primed for human-triggered avalanches on Saturday. Pay attention to blowing snow and wind-stiffened surfaces to help you identify where the problem exists. Shooting cracks or recent avalanches are a dead giveaway of unstable conditions and should help you default to less steep terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Light new snowfall and more importantly, strong NW winds may create unstable slabs of wind drifted snow. You can find these slabs on the downwind sides of ridges, below cornices, and on convex rolls in open terrain. However, strong winds can create irregular loading patterns, so you could find these slabs further down slope or in unusual terrain features.

    You can use visual clues such as blowing snow and looking for rippled, textured surfaces to help you identify where the wind has been at work. Shooting cracks are a dead giveaway that slabs are resting uneasily on the snow below them. Step back to lower-angled terrain if you see these. Inconsequential test slopes and hand pits are quick ways to monitor this hazard.

    (12/26/2025)

    Sharp cornices and pillow-like slabs show wind loading in closed terrain at Mission Ridge Ski Area. 

    Photo: Mission Ridge Snow Safety

Avalanche Discussion

A weather system will bring a shot of low-density snowfall and strong NW winds to the East South mountains. The Darland and Tieton should pick up around a quarter inch of snow water equivalent, with higher amounts closer to the Cascade Crest. As a result, expect more hazardous conditions in areas near White Pass, Chinook Pass, and Mt. Adams. 

Other than telemetry data, we have no snowpack information for the zone. The Bumping Lake Weather station (4600 ft) shows a snow depth of 23 inches with 4.1 inches of SWE (snow water equivalent). The Green Lake weather station (5920 ft) does not track snow depth but shows 8 inches of SWE. We can infer that there is approximately twice as much snow at middle elevations than lower elevations. You'll likely find a cohesive slab of snow over a prominent crust from the warm-up on 12/18. Observations from the nearby East Central zone point to a good bond between the slab and crust, but multiple explosive triggered avalanches in the Crystal mountain indicate the opposite. 

Lower elevations are most likely still quite shallow, making skiing or riding off the road tricky. Watch for shallowly buried rocks, trees, and high-flowing creeks. These hazards can appreciably increase the consequences of getting caught in even a small avalanche. Furthermore, accessing terrain can be quite arduous due to widespread damage from recent atmospheric river events. Be prepared to be turned around due to road closures, washouts, mudslides, or downed trees.

State and local resources are working diligently to reduce the impacts of destructive storms that occurred earlier this month. We can help by respecting affected communities, complying with road closures, and adhering to ski area uphill travel policies.

You can help us out! Submit an observation on the avyapp or here.

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