Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Thu
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 8 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Particularly in areas closer to the Cascade Crest, Wednesday is a good day to make conservative terrain choices and look for signs of unstable snow on all aspects and elevations. Clear signs of instability include recent slab avalanches, long shooting cracks from your equipment, and collapsing.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Likely
    Dimensione
    1–2

    Moderate to strong southwest wind will accompany snowfall Tuesday night. There will be a lull for a few hours in the morning before picking back up, and the wind will shift more southerly. There's a big difference in expected snow totals across the zone; considerably more snow will fall in areas near the Cascade Crest. This forecast reflects the higher hazard for these areas.

    Anticipate unstable slabs of wind drifted snow first thing in the morning, and continued development throughout the day. You should always look for signs of wind drifted snow on all aspects, but keep this in mind especially with the wind direction shift. Slabs will be deeper on north and east aspects. Look for obvious clues of loading, such as blowing snow, sharp drifts, and textured snow surfaces. Wind slabs typically form just below ridgelines or along gully walls (cross loading). Wednesday is a good day to steer around steep, exposed slopes.

     

    A recent intentionally skier-triggered wind slab that occurred on Monday in the nearby East North zone (1/5/2026).SS-AS-R2-D1.5-S

    Photo: Adam Butterfield

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–2

    As the snow continues to stack up, consider the chance that it is settling into a cohesive slab that is unstable in both sheltered and exposed terrain. In some lower elevation areas, new snow may be falling on slick crusts. Storm slab instability should be relegated to areas near the Cascade Crest that receive higher snow totals, and peak instability should be in the morning. Steer around steep slopes where you experience the same red flags you'd see in a wind slab problem: cracking, collapsing, and recent avalanches.

    If it is not settling, keep an eye out for sluffs of loose dry snow. Even a small avalanche could knock you off your feet and carry you into exposed hazards.

    (12/18/2025)

    Uptrack tests like this can help evaluate the new storm snow. Here the snow cracked out in front of my skis. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Minimal snowpack information was gathered on Tuesday, and weather stations are being a bit finicky. We suspect a 1 foot or more of low density snow fell during the day in the Salmon La Sac. Lower snow totals were observed elsewhere. With continued snowfall and variable wind directions throughout the zone Tuesday night into Wednesday, expect the most snow and subsequent hazard in the Salmon La Sac, Chikawums, and other areas close to the Cascade Crest. 

As far as snowpack structure goes, there is a similar structure zone wide, although we're still filling in the gaps for upper elevations. A crust formed on 01/02 exists in the upper portion of the snowpack on most aspects. Then, a large and stiff slab is found with the thinner 12/14 and 12/18 crusts within. The hefty atmospheric crusts created by rain in December are buried deeply beneath. Overall snowpack depths, however, are more variable. You'll find a significantly deeper snowpack above 6000 ft as well as in the Salmon La Sac, Teanaway, and possibly areas up north. If you find yourself in higher terrain or more far-flung areas further north, consider reading the East North forecast and dig down to look for weak layers that could exist 1-2 feet below the snow surface. 

Up until this point, observations haven't pointed to much instability associated with the 01/02 crust. This crust is generally supportable above 5000 ft. Below, it still retains some moisture and is weaker. As it gets tested by new snow on top at all elevations, Wednesday marks a good day to travel cautiously through the backcountry. Storm snow avalanche hazard is almost always at its highest during or immediately after a storm.

Open creeks, downed logs, and other hazards have continued to be an obstacle at lower elevations. They may be obscured by new snow, so take your time as you move around the backcountry. In choosing terrain to ride, consider the consequence of a slide- if one happens, where will it take you? Look for slopes with a clean run-out free of bone-breaking trees, creeks, and rocks. 

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