Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Another warm day with sun will maintain concern for wet avalanches and cornice fall. Avoid traveling below or on large cornices. You may find a weak and shallow snowpack in the eastern mountains.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    Large cornices could fall, triggered by warming temperatures and sun. Falling cornices could easily injure you if you're on or under them. They could also trigger avalanches that wouldn't otherwise be an issue. Stay out from under and well away from cornices. Be aware of cornices on overhead slopes and make sure not to stop under them. If you're traveling on a ridge, check that you're standing above part of the mountain and not on unsupported snow. Clues like exposed rocks and vegetation can tell you where you can travel without being on an overhung cornice. Some minor drifting may have occurred above treeline since Monday. Any recent slabs would be very small and isolated.

    An example of cornices and wind-loaded slopes.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Another day of warm temperatures and sun could be enough to see wet avalanches on steep slopes that have yet to slide in the past couple of days. If the snow is getting soft and wet, move to lower-angle and more shaded terrain.  Pay attention to how lack of cloud cover or wind may allow surface snow to melt and slide downhill. These avalanches are generally easy to avoid and manage, but they can be dangerous in certain terrain.  Use caution on very steep slopes or near terrain traps like cliffs and gullies where wet avalanches could cause an injury. 

    (3/1/2021) Small point releases originating from rocks near the Bomber Chutes, just outside of the Mission Ridge ski area boundary at 6,200ft on an E aspect. These likely ran on Feb 27th or 28th. Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

Quiet and warm weather has been the norm for the past week. Observers continue to report large to very large avalanches that ran around February 22nd due to heavy snow and wind. Unlike zones to the south, it appears that most of those avalanches involved more recent storm layers in the upper snowpack.

Persistent slab avalanches are unlikely but could not completely impossible. You may encounter persistent weak layers in areas with a snowpack of five feet or less such as the eastern mountains around the tributaries of the Chewuch and Twisp River drainages. Check out this observation from Wolf Creek on Friday. Other forecast zones have been plagued with very large and destructive avalanches in the past 1-2 weeks. Be sure to check out the forecast for the East Central zone if you are traveling to the southern or eastern edge of this zone for more details on the mid-January crust/facet weak layer that's problematic there. 

Regions covered