Bollettino valanghe

West Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Tue
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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In sintesi

The West North zone got a surprise 6-12 inches of light, dry snow, sitting over a crust in many areas. Snow will slide easily on the crust on steep slopes, but the avalanches are mostly small and predictable, so either avoid steep slopes or expect that you'll trigger an avalanche if you enter steep terrain. When the sun hits slopes, expect a round of natural loose avalanches. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Likely
    Dimensione
    1–1.5

    A forecaster was at Heather Meadows on Sunday, and 8-12 inches of new snow sat atop a crust from the previous day. They were able to trigger avalanches in most steep areas, with slides running far. Some were loose dry, and others were very subtle soft slabs, and it didn't take much to initiate a small slab that picked up more loose snow as it made its way downslope. Some spots in the zone may have closer to 6 inches, but avalanche activity will likely be similar.

    By Monday, it might take a little more effort to initiate triggering an avalanche, and there could be more wind-affected snow in some areas, where slides could be larger. Either way, expect to trigger avalanches on slopes approaching 40° and steeper that will run on the crust. This will be a good day for using test slopes to see how easily the snow will slide.

    The good news is that this avalanche problem is fairly predictable and easy to manage if you want to go into steeper terrain- but beware all the soft snow sliding away, leaving you with only a crust. Alternatively, lower-angle slopes are a great option for the day. 

    Example photo: You could trigger very soft slab avalanches like this one that will run on the crust on steep slopes.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Likely
    Dimensione
    1–1.5

    It might surprise you how big of a flurry of loose avalanches there are when the sun first hits slopes.  They quite possibly will run as deep as the underlying crust. At first, they might be fairly dry, but if the sun has been beating down on a slope for a while, they could become moist or wet. 

    Consider where you're traveling as the sun shines on slopes, shifting from east in the morning to south midday and west in the afternoon. Slides will mainly run from very steep, cliffy areas or tree bombs. You may get rollerballs as warnings.  You won't want to be under large, steep slopes if there are natural loose avalanches running down them- plan your travels so you avoid traveling beneath these slopes if and when the sun is shining intensely on them. 

    (2/24/2026)

    Expect loose dry to initiate soon after the sun hits slopes, especially in very steep, rocky areas and from tree bombs, and they will likely transition to moist if given a bit more time. 

    Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mtn Rescue

Avalanche Discussion

We're in the fickle spring weather phase as March comes to a close. Intense bursts of precipitation- sometimes much larger than expected- have been a pleasant surprise targeting the West North zone. We're only supposed to get another inch before the storm wraps up Sunday night, but we'll have to wait until Monday to see how much we actually end up with. We can expect plenty of sun on Monday, but at least temperatures are staying cooler for this time of year. 

At Heather Meadows, a crust was observed on all aspects, even northerly, from warm, moist weather on Saturday. This crust is providing a good sliding surface for the new snow on top of it, and the forecaster even described it as surprisingly easy to slide in some areas. Here, only upper elevation northerly aspects don't have a crust. There were many wet loose avalanches before the new snow fell, so expect hard, chunky surfaces in some areas, hidden beneath the new snow.

Meanwhile, a few observations came in from the Cascade Pass area on Saturday. There was less recent snow, not as much moistening, and more wind. A patchwork of wind-stiffened surfaces and slick older crusts appeared to be the norm, along with Low danger. We suspect snow fell in the area since then, which means avalanche danger may have increased. Be prepared to evaluate conditions for yourself if you go here or to other less-traveled areas in the zone. 

 

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