East Slopes Central

Access to the mountains is difficult due to flooding, erosion, and downed trees, leading to subsequent road closures. If you get to continuous snow coverage up high, keep an eye out for lingering globs of wet snow above and icy surfaces at/below you. Check out the East North forecast for snowpack information that may be relevant to the far north reaches of this zone.

We have been building a clearer picture of how much snow is left in the zone after last week's wet and wild weather. In general, continuous snow coverage exists starting around 6000 ft. Other than that, we don't have any snowpack information as access to the mountains is very difficult. We are still gathering info, but it seems like the Salmon La Sac, the Teanaway, and Blewett Pass may have escaped the worst impacts of flooding and wind damage. Reports from Icicle Creek, Tumwater, and Holden tell a more grim tale. If you plan to journey into the mountains, keep a flexible, conscientious, and observant mindset. Give yourself extra time to negotiate adverse road and snow conditions. Be aware that many folks are still grappling with major infrastructure damage to their communities, and resources are focused accordingly. Plan to make your own snowpack assessments if you do manage to reach enough snow to recreate on.

The very western side of the zone will see a bit of precipitation on Sunday morning. If you are high enough up that snow is falling, keep an eye out for a small skiff of wind-deposited snow. With slick, refrozen surfaces, being knocked off your feet could turn into a long, uncontrolled fall. Consider carrying sharp, self-arresting equipment and make sure you know how to use it.

It often takes a few days for the snowpack to dry out after a wet storm cycle. With the unprecedented amount of rain our forecast region just saw (and more on the way, unfortunately), there is likely still water flowing through and under the snowpack. This lubricates bed surfaces and creates a risk for isolated chunks of snow to fall off unsupported perches. Pay attention to the terrain above you and don't cross slopes where glide cracks are visible.

Terrain further north in the zone may be holding onto snow a bit better, but we don't really know. If you plan to try accessing such areas, take a look at the East North zone forecast before heading out. Although access is similarly beyond reach, the snowpack is considerably different up there. The zone actually gained quite a bit of snow instead of losing it this week.

Finally, it goes without saying that exposed hazards abound. Watch for shallowly buried rocks, trees, and high-flowing creeks. Recognize that even small slides can have big consequences when the snowpack is so thin.

With the warm start to the 25-26 winter season, we have less snowpack information than usual to start daily forecast operations. For zones and elevation bands with less snow than needed for avalanche hazard, we will issue a forecast with No Rating. Anticipated avalanche and weather conditions will still be updated daily. NWAC will issue an avalanche danger rating for a zone when enough snow to produce avalanches has accumulated at middle and upper elevations.