East Slopes North

While generally safe avalanche conditions continue, it's a good idea to keep the slim chance of wet avalanches and falling cornices in mind. Consider challenging travel and the consequences of an uncontrolled fall on icy snow surfaces. Expect a shift in the weather with an incoming storm early Sunday morning.

With no official avalanche problems and avalanches unlikely, the biggest hazards may be those inherent to mountain travel. A slip on steep, icy slopes could turn into an uncontrolled fall. You can prevent this by planning your route and anticipating places in the terrain that could be an issue. You can also bring equipment like crampons or ski crampons to provide traction.

Wet avalanches and cornice falls, while unlikely, are worth keeping in mind. You can expect high clouds to build for Saturday, but there may still be enough sun to weaken the surface. If sun-exposed slopes become overly wet and weak, move to more shaded or lower-angled terrain. If traveling on a ridge, stay far from the edge and don't stand on overhung cornices. Be aware of cornices that could be looming overhead. Take care to minimize your time and exposure under cornices. Stop and regroup in locations free of overhead hazards.

On Wednesday, Simon Trautman and I traveled to Rainy Pass. We found ample evidence of wet avalanches since the 12th and a variety of snow surfaces, including surface hoar in valley bottoms, slick crusts on sun-exposed slopes, and weak facetted snow on the surface of open, shaded slopes. You can see our observation here. With snow in the forecast for Sunday, pay attention to the different surfaces and note which ones could be weak layers if buried. You can let us know what you see by submitting an observation.