West Slopes North

Very firm, refrozen snow will be your main travel challenge, so come prepared with sharp, pointy tools if you plan on traveling anywhere that isn't flat. Sunny slopes may soften briefly midday, if it's sunny enough. Stay aware of mountain hazards like cornice fall, glide cracks, and snow or rocks shedding from cliffs.

We're in the final few days before precipitation finally arrives- although snowlines may be rather high when it does reach us. For now, avalanche danger is remaining at Low, with minimal change to weather inputs. Crusts are locking up all surfaces, and we've had relatively cold weather and clear skies for days.

That said, there are still plenty of ways to get hurt: Snow surfaces are slick, and uncontrolled sliding incidents have been reported in the Cascades over the past week. It’s advisable to pack ski and/or boot crampons and some sort of self-arrest tool if venturing into steeper terrain.

Localized warming could still result in small amounts of snow shedding from sunny cliffs, and there remains a very low chance of a slab avalanche in areas with glide cracks or recent glide activity. Identify overhead hazards and assess your exposure regardless of temperature or sun. Watch for glide cracks, lumpy or wrinkled-looking snow below cliffs, sagging cornices, and anything else that appears poorly attached to the mountain.

Observers in the Baker Backcountry reported no new avalanches on Sunday. There were reports of softening snow for a small time window on steep, south-facing slopes. Surface faceting has been observed on shady terrain, though conditions have generally been too dry for significant surface hoar formation, except in moist terrain such as gullies or areas near open water. We may see a bit more cloud cover on Monday, temperatures could increase a bit, and expect a little breezier conditions as the day continues. Precipitation doesn't look like it's coming in until Tuesday night.