Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes South

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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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 8 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Be on the lookout for wet snow instabilities along steep, sunny slopes as you punch through a temperature inversion on Monday. You’ll likely see the first signs of warming on steep, rocky slopes in the sun. Give yourself options so you can easily head to shadier terrain or lower-angle slopes if you don’t like what you’re seeing. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Loose Wet

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

    Warming temperatures and plenty of sunshine may set the stage for wet avalanches along sun-exposed slopes, particularly near rocky terrain. Temperature inversions may limit this problem at lower elevations, but you’ll likely punch through a wall of warm air as you ride or climb into the middle elevations. Expect these wet loose to be bigger in areas closer to to the Cascade Crest that received more recent accumulations. 

    Pay attention to sticky snow surfaces, rollerballs, and pinwheels as obvious clues that the surface is becoming wet and weak. Plan your day with aspect options, so you can easily escape sunny slopes if you don’t like what you’re seeing. 

    Warming temperatures may also weaken cornices. Give these overhanging chunks some space if you see them.

    (12/27/2025)

    An example of small loose avalanches that resulted from warming temperatures in the East North zone. 

    Photo: Adam Butterfield

Avalanche Discussion

The cold temperatures and great riding conditions this past week offered will be a thing of the past (or more dependent on your aspect, I should say) as freezing levels rise to over 9000 ft. Dry-snow avalanche problems will largely give way to wet-snow concerns in the coming days. However, that may not be the case in upper-elevation, shaded terrain that may still hold lingering wind slabs. If you travel into this type of terrain, still keep an eye out for unstable, stiff slabs. Shooting cracks under your or feet or machine are good reasons to dial it back. 

Sunday was a pleasant day to be in the mountains. An NWAC forecaster traveled in the Nelson Ridge area near Bumping Lake and found shallow coverage at lower elevations, but a more meaningful snowpack as they moved into more open slopes at mid-elevations. At these mid-elevations, they found roughly three feet of snow with a favorable snowpack structure, and roughly a foot of recent snow over a very thin crust that formed on Christmas Eve. Snowpack tests produced results with compression tests on this crust, but longer columns failed to propagate. You can check out her full observation here. 

Snowpack depths range widely across the East South. Subtle changes in aspect, elevation, or canopy cover can significantly affect overall depth and riding conditions. Expect a lean snowpack of roughly 20-30 inches in the eastern mountains and more robust 50-60 inches closer to the Cascade Crest.

Lower elevations remain shallow, making skiing or riding off the road tricky. Watch for shallowly buried rocks, trees, and high-flowing creeks. These hazards can appreciably increase the consequences of getting caught in even a small avalanche. 

You can help us out! Submit an observation on the avyapp or here.

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