Avalanche forecast

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche danger is Low, but remain aware of small wind drifts that could knock you off your feet. If you travel to upper elevations, where you're most likely to find this problem, identify thicker drifts as areas that could slide with a human trigger. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Upper elevations vary in the amount of new snow above the crust. Some places have up to 6” while others are already quite scoured down and have nothing left to offer up for fresh slabs. You'll easily be able to identify the new snow depth as the amount above the early February crust. Any avalanches may slide far and easily on the crust surface. 

    Active wind transport is an easy identifier for wind loading, but winds are forecasted to be light, so new slabs probably aren't forming. Look for the scoured snow surfaces that show where the snow was stripped, and drifts where it ended up. Stomping on features like tiny cornices and test slopes will be the best way to see if there is any reactivity in the fresh slabs.

    Example photo: Shallow wind slabs like this one may be triggered on leeward sides of features. 

Avalanche Discussion

We received a trace of snow on Monday and forecasts are similar for Tuesday, with light winds. We don't expect any new slabs to develop, so danger is decreasing. On Sunday, observers were in the Baker backcountry, on the north side of Mt. Baker, and also at Anderson-Watson, and found an inch or two of new snow over the well-frozen, early-February crust at mid-elevations. A mix of near-surface facets and surface hoar were found topping the snowpack.

At higher elevations, there was 4-6 inches of new snow with isolated wind drifts up to 2 feet thick. Wind slabs were reactive in some areas and stubborn to unreactive in others. Most were shallow and small enough to present little in the way of avalanche danger.

A small amount of wet loose avalanche activity happened on Sunday on steep sunny slopes. The thin, small avalanches ran far on the stout underlying crust. Expect another thin crust mixed in with the trace of new snow above the stout crust on those slopes. 

No other recent avalanches were reported. Debris and crowns from extremely large avalanches last weekend are still quite visible. Thanks to last week's warm, wet weather, expect to find an abundance of bare patches and exposed creeks at lower elevations and even up through mid-elevations. Travel is primarily on firm crusts so prepare for travel over hard surfaces. 

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