Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

If you set out to find cold, dry snow on high-elevation northerly aspects, you could trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow below ridgelines, cliffs, and confined gullies. Shooting cracks or active drifting is a good sign to choose lower-angle routes. On the southern side of the compass, avoid lingering beneath steep, sunny rocks that could still shed blocks of wet snow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds will ramp up overnight on Tuesday, forming fresh wind slabs along ridgelines at upper elevations. So, if you're headed into alpine terrain, look for actively blowing snow or cracking in wind-stiffened surfaces to indicate a higher likelihood of triggering an avalanche. Corniced ridgelines, confined gullies, and the base of cliffs are all likely places to find fresh wind slabs. We expect most avalanches to be small. However, wind slabs may form over slick or weak surfaces and break wider than expected. Dig down and frequently assess the recent snow using small test slopes and quick hand pits. If you find the snow slides easily, back off steep terrain objectives and choose lower-angle slopes.

    (1/3/2025)

    Shooting cracks in wind drifted snow on Delancy Ridge on a southwest aspect at 6600ft.

    Photo: Katie Warren

  • Loose Wet

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

    After a few days of warmer temperatures and sun, most wet avalanches have already run, and steep southern slopes have a surface crust, further limiting widespread wet loose avalanche concerns. Instead, you should watch for overhead hazards from steep, rocky terrain or cliffs in the sun that could still shed large chunks of snow. Limit your time beneath these suspect terrain features, especially in the afternoon. If the sun and warm temperatures break down surface crusts on southern aspects, you may also be able to trigger small, loose wet avalanches in steep terrain.

    (3/17/2024)

    Wet loose avalanches initiating from steep, rocky terrain. 

    Photo: Willie Webster

Avalanche Discussion

While a strong inversion developed on Tuesday in the East North, overall temperatures were cooler than anticipated, and high clouds moved into the region, keeping snow surfaces cool. This also has preserved available dry snow at upper elevations to be drifted into wind slabs with moderate ridgeline winds overnight and into Wednesday morning. After an initially windy and cloudy morning, winds should taper, and skies should clear, giving way to a pleasant sunny afternoon. 

Sunny weather over the past few days formed surface crusts on southern aspects, and observers reported rollerballs and small, wet loose avalanches in steep terrain. Last week, soft, dry snow was the norm, with isolated pockets of small wind slabs near ridgelines. One unusual avalanche on Poster Peak stepped down into older, deeper snow layers. While this avalanche occurred in very steep, unsupported terrain and may have been triggered by a cornice fall, it's enough to keep uncertainty about these older layers in our forecast. 

Friday brought 6-8 inches of snow to the area with moderate winds, and this quickly formed touchy wind slabs along ridgelines that were especially easy to trigger where they formed over weak snow on a sun crust from New Year's. This storm also buried a widespread surface hoar layer throughout the area. Other professional observers and I found this surface-hoar layer reactive in snowpack tests. A thin melt-freeze crust associated with weak grains buried between 1.5-2 feet deep has also produced unstable test results. While these layers haven't produced widespread avalanches, they add uncertainty to our forecast, and we continue monitoring their development. 

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