East Slopes South
Pericolo valanghe
In sintesi
If you encounter an avalanche on Sunday, it would be below rocky terrain shedding wet snow, or steep upper elevation slopes holding small wind slabs. Monitor changing snow and weather conditions as you gain elevation and change aspects. Avalanche danger may be slightly higher near White Pass and along Highway 410.
Avalanche Discussion
Avalanche danger will remain generally low, with the biggest variable being how much new snow you actually find on the ground. Temperatures will cool slightly from Saturday's mid-40s, but it still won't be cold. Expect a trace to a few inches of snow and cloudy skies. Increasing afternoon winds drifting soft, loose snow could be the biggest weather factor influencing avalanche danger.
Keep an eye out for isolated pockets of wind-drifted snow at upper elevations. While wind slabs should not be widespread, small, fresh slabs may form on the downwind side of ridgelines or cross-loaded gullies. Blowing snow, cornices, and scoured snow surfaces can help you figure out which slopes are loaded up with wind-drifted snow.
Areas that picked up more snow over the past week could still produce small wet loose avalanches, while places with only an inch or two should see minimal wet avalanche activity. Naturally triggered wet avalanches can initiate from steep rocky headwalls. On very steep slopes, wet, sloppy snow may move downhill with you when sidehilling or descending. Even small avalanches can have big consequences with gullies, trees, or other terrain traps in the runout below.
After three weeks of high pressure, the snowpack remains highly aspect-dependent. East-, south-, and west-facing slopes host melt-freeze crusts of varying thickness while northerly aspects are a mix of thin crusts, near-surface facets, and old firm drifts. You might find anywhere from below a few inches to possibly one foot of new snow over old snow surfaces. Low elevations and steep sun-exposed terrain remain thin, patchy, or melted out.
Observations from this zone would be valuable if you’re getting out—please share what you’re seeing.