Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sat
Alta quota
3 · Marcato
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 6 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

As you break out of thicker canopy down low and find slopes influenced by a strong wind pattern, the number of steep slopes you can get away with safely recreating on rapidly decreases. Long shooting cracks, audible collapses, or natural avalanches are key indicators of dangerous avalanche conditions. With weak layers of snow buried within the snowpack, your best bet is to give steep, open slopes some breathing room and to find lower-angle, sheltered terrain to explore instead.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Don't be fooled by sunnier skies. We are in the midst of an active loading period with strong-extreme wind from the west. Poor snowpack structure exists on all aspects at middle and upper elevations, and many slopes are being tested by heavy slabs forming on top. We got a taste of what wind loading did to the weak snowpack shortly after the storm earlier in the week, where wind slab avalanches failed within weak snow. Some of these avalanches were remotely triggered and propagated widely during avalanche control work at Mission Ridge.

    All steep open terrain is suspect, including moderately treed areas where strong wind has snuck its way in. A change to denser feeling snow underneath your equipment is a good indication that it has been influenced. Avalanches could be triggered from below or next to steep slopes. Small, steep test slopes or convex features can help gauge the reactivity of the upper snowpack. You can dig small hand pits and pull on blocks of snow to see how easily overlaying slabs break free from weak snow underneath. But given snowpack variability, be cautious about extrapolating your results too broadly. 

    It might be more likely to trigger smaller fresh wind slabs independent of buried weak layers on Friday. However, the potential consequences of being caught and carried are the same. You should be concerned about triggering true wind slab avalanches in the same places where you could trigger a larger persistent slab avalanche. 

    (2/23/2026)

    Very steep and unsupported test slopes such as this can be a way to guage reactivity of buried weak layers.

    Photo: Katie Warren

Avalanche Discussion

As forecasted, Thursday was a windy day throughout the forecast region. The Mission Ridge weather station reported 25-30mph sustained wind with gusts up to 54mph. Unfortunately, the Dirty Face weather station - a key anemometer for the zone - is rimed, but nearby stations reported similarly strong wind. Hold onto your hats because there will be another small uptick in wind on Thursday night that should persist through Friday morning. 

There is 8-12 inches of snow over weak layers, including the 2/13 buried surface hoar and facets around the 2/7 crust lower down. In some locations, these layers may be easier to identify than others. If you're at lower elevations, there could just be a crust and no weak snow at all. So far, observations have indicated a slightly stronger snowpack to the west of the zone. An NWAC forecaster out in the Salmon La Sac area on Tuesday experienced multiple loud collapses, however they couldn't locate buried surface hoar nor get propagation in snowpit tests. Conversely, Mission Ridge Ski Patrol has triggered several small and large wind slabs on buried surface hoar and faceted snow over the first few days of the week, and observers around the area have reported much more concerning test results.

This information informs the forecast, but trying to thread the needle between where it is and isn't more dangerous in the middle of a loading event is ill-advised. We don't currently have more updated info, nor any info at all for the northern end of the zone, which could be tracking closer to conditions in East North. This all creates more uncertainty around an already tricky problem to forecast. This problem is likely to stick around for a while, so settle in to finding fun skiing and riding on lower angle slopes while the snowpack heals. Consider taking a look at the East North forecast if you plan to travel nearby in East Central.

Although Friday will be mostly sunny, particularly to the east, the wind should largely ward off a wet loose avalanche cycle. That being said, if you're traveling around on solar aspects and notice the snow getting warm and sticky, put small wet loose avalanches on your radar. Chunks of snow falling from cliffs and rollerballs releasing naturally or from your equipment are the first signs to look out for. This warming trend could even play a role in the release of a dry wind or persistent slab avalanche; however, these mechanics are not well understood.

The snowpack is still thin, particularly in the trees, at lower elevations, and on southerly slopes. Creeks, holes, and logs make routes convoluted or even impassable. Give yourself time to deal with our interminable "early season" conditions, and know that some hazards may be obscured by new snow.

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