Avalanche forecast

West Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

On Wednesday, sunshine and warm temperatures could destabilize the snow surface on sun-exposed slopes. In wind-exposed areas, you may find unstable drifts near rocky outcrops or ridgelines. Any triggered avalanche may fail easily and slide a long way on a firm crust.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Wet loose slides will remain possible on steep, sun-exposed slopes. A crust at the base of the recent storm snow is providing a good bed surface for any triggered avalanche to run on. Although there's not much snow clinging to the rocks and cliffs, there is some. It could fall during periods of intense sunshine, triggering avalanches on the slopes below. So the question becomes, how likely are these slides to occur?

    On one hand, Wednesday should be warmer than Tuesday and a notch less windy. So areas closer to the crest that didn't produce wet loose slides on Tuesday may get their chance.

    On the flip side, an overnight refreeze is expected to create a surface crust, resulting in at least short-lived stability in the morning hours. There may also be continued easterly winds helping to keep the surface cool.

    So your plan should be to keep an eye on the snow surface. If the surface crust breaks down, leaving the snow wet and sticky, these slides will become more likely. Look for new natural avalanche activity or use small test slopes to see if you can easily push the snow on the underlying crust. If the signs point toward instability, default to lower-angled or shaded slopes.

    (2/6/2026)

    A shallow wet loose slide on a sun-exposed slope. This one ran a few days ago on an underlying crust. Similar slides could occur on Wednesday, but they'll likely be deeper.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

  • Wind Slabs

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

    The easterly winds were easily moving snow near the crest on Tuesday. At Paradise, travelers triggered a wind slab on Monday. In our neighboring Mount Hood zone, wind slabs have been breaking widely for a few days now. Add it all up, and there's certainly a possibility that you encounter an issue in wind-drifted snow on Wednesday.

    Look for pillow-like drifts, textured surfaces, or fresh cornices. These visual clues can help you identify wind-loaded features to avoid. Using small test slopes, uptrack tests, or even hand shears can give you an indication of the slab potential of the upper snowpack, plus you'll get a feel for how the recent snow has bonded to the underlying crust. 

    (2/10/2026)

    A small intentionally triggered wind slab near White Pass. NE, 6600ft. HS-ASu-R1/D1-I

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

It's been nice to get reports of new snow and pleasant days out in the mountains lately. Observations indicate that the recent storm resulted in roughly 8" of snow at White Pass, and closer to 6" in the Crystal area. Although we don't have on-the-ground confirmation, all the volcanoes are expected to have significantly higher storm totals. No matter your location or the amount of new snow, it should be resting atop the 2/7 crust. This interface may look a little different across the zone, but the common denominator is that it provides a good bed surface for avalanches to run on. 

That should continue to be the case on Wednesday. You'll need to play the aspect game to manage the wet avalanche problems, remaining vigilant of the possibility of wind slabs on more shaded aspects. Any triggered avalanche, whether dry, wet, loose, or slab, could fail easily and run far on the underlying crust.

Near the crest, expect the majority of slides to be small, while the volcanoes contain the potential for larger avalanches. But regardless of size, wet avalanches can pack a punch. Don't let one push you into one of the many holes or shallowly buried rocks that litter the mountains. These natural hazards have been with us all season and could be your primary concern in some locations.

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