East Slopes South

Expect cool, cloudy weather with light snow showers on Thursday. For the most part, avalanches are unlikely. But be cautious in extreme terrain where getting knocked over by a small pocket of wind-drifted snow could have high consequences.

Thursday may bring 1-3 inches of snow to the area. Winds will mainly be light, but you could find some drifted snow at the highest elevations. We don't anticipate this will be enough to create much of an avalanche hazard, but you could find some small, shallow wind slabs in alpine terrain. Use caution in exposed, steep terrain where these small slides could knock you off cliffs or cause long falls. In more sheltered terrain, you could see low-density, loose dry avalanches run fast and far on the slick crust. 

While the colder temperatures will help reduce the potential for wet avalanches, the snowpack might take a while to fully re-freeze. And with the dynamic spring weather, the sun could make a more prolonged appearance than anticipated. Watch for overhead hazards from snow falling from rock slabs and cornices, or move to shadier terrain if the sunny slopes become wet and punchy. 

Lower elevations and even mid-elevation S and W aspects have limited snow coverage. You may even find bare ground near sno-park elevations in the Ahtanum area. Expect shallow coverage, open creeks, and other low tide hazards. 

If you get out, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here.