Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes South

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sat
Alta quota
4 · Forte
Limite del bosco
3 · Marcato
Sotto il limite
3 · Marcato
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In sintesi

Avalanche conditions remain very dangerous as a powerful storm continues to favor the southern Cascades. While wind-loaded terrain will harbor the thickest, most reactive slabs - any steep, open slope should be considered suspect. Let the storm run its course by sticking to lower-angle terrain without exposure to overhead avalanche concerns.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Very Likely
    Dimensione
    1.5–2.5

    Recent heavy accumulations and additional loading will maintain the threat of large avalanches, especially in wind-loaded terrain where slabs will be denser. These avalanches could fail within the new storm snow or deeper on the stout 3/8 crust.

    The heaviest of the precipitation is forecast to fall during the overnight hours on Thursday, so expect conditions to be most reactive and dangerous during the early part of the day on Friday. However, additional wind loading will likely maintain this reactivity and keep slabs primed for human-triggering through the day.

    This has been a big storm for the mountains of the East South, so don’t run your normal playbook. Enjoy the new snow, but stick to simple, lower-angle slopes and limit your time spent under large terrain. 

    (3/11/2026)

    An example of a storm slab in the West North zone on Wednesday.

    Photo: Lee Lazzara

Avalanche Discussion

This storm keeps producing. As of Thursday evening, storm totals at Bumping Ridge have exceeded 23 inches. Expect storm totals to be in this ballpark or slightly less around Darland and the Tieton. The other big part of this storm has been the wind, with many weather stations reporting gusts in the 90s or even low 100’s. We suspect there are tons of wind-affected surfaces, and wind-drifted snow will be the most likely place to trigger a large avalanche, but with over 20 inches of recent snow, you should approach any steep terrain with caution. Observations have been minimal in recent days due to stormy conditions, so let this be another reason to ease into terrain slowly on Friday. 

We are gaining confidence that the older, persistent weak layers are healing. We've been tracking the 2/13 buried surface hoar and facets around the 2/7 crust. An NWAC forecaster traveled to the Pinegrass Ridge area last week and identified these layers about 2 feet below the surface. On west aspects, they produced propagating test results, while on southerly aspects, the layers were gaining strength. The last (and only) known persistent slab avalanches that failed in the East South occurred on February 28th around Darland Mountain. In the nearby East Central zone, snow professionals have reported no notable snowpack test results associated with these layers for the last 3 days. 

NWAC Forecasters produce more accurate avalanche forecasts when the community chips in. Please let us know what you're seeing out there.

Regioni coperte