East Slopes Central

While the mountains are never completely free of danger, avalanche conditions are generally safe.  If the sun comes out Sunday afternoon, watch for a chance of small wet avalanches on steep sunny slopes. In general, cooler and unsettled weather will limit concerns for avalanches. 

While wet avalanches are unlikely, there are some factors to keep in mind. If you do find wet weak surface snow, consider moving to slopes less than 35 degrees. Some slopes, especially at low to mid-elevations, may not fully freeze Saturday night. Sun may break through the clouds on Sunday afternoon, especially in the eastern half of the zone.

Since Wednesday, small loose wet avalanches ran on northeast through south through west aspects in recently fallen snow. On the 29th, a storm brought around a foot of snow at the Cascade crest, but only about half of that for and areas further east such as the Wenatchee Mountains.  The sun has formed crusts of various thicknesses on all other aspects. Slopes that face directly north above 5,000ft may still hold dry snow. 

The lower snowpack is generally strong. The mid-January weak layer is dormant but can still be found about 2-6 feet below the surface. It shows up as weaker facets near a crust or a thick layer that's a mix of rounded facets and weak melt forms.  There have been no avalanches reported on this layer since March 1. A major warming event could produce large wet slab avalanches on this layer.