West Slopes North

Clouds and light rain or snow will replace the sun-drenched days of the past week. Wet avalanche concerns are generally limited to glide avalanches in extreme terrain and cornice fall. Watch for overhead hazards like glide cracks or anything else poorly attached to the mountain, and limit time beneath them.

A quarter inch of light rain at low and mid elevations, and a few inches of moist new snow up high, shouldn’t do much to change avalanche danger. But as they say, “Low danger isn’t no danger,” so keep the following in mind this weekend:

• Fresh snow and some wind up high could form thin slabs—don’t get caught off guard by shallow new snow after a week of sun.
• Isolated mountain hazards like icefall, rockfall, and glide avalanches remain a concern, especially in steep, rugged alpine terrain.
• Cornices will continue to sag with above-freezing temperatures, and rain could further weaken them.
• Small route adjustments—like avoiding travel under sagging cornices or beneath glide cracks—can go a long way towards reducing risk.
• You may still be able to push loose wet snow on very steep slopes. Most will be small, but they can still carry you into terrain traps.

Observers in West North found a solid surface crust on Friday morning despite above-freezing overnight temperatures. The crust was 3–6 inches thick and boot-supportable at mid elevations. Sun exposure softened it as expected, but it remained firm enough to stay on top with flotation. Most avalanche activity likely occurred last weekend during the initial warmup. While avalanche danger was Low in most terrain, very steep and aggressive alpine areas still require extra caution.

The most notable observations came from a group that spent multiple days near Cascade Pass. Glide cracks were widespread, but no new large glide avalanches were reported. Activity was limited to small wet loose shedding from cliffs during the warmest part of the day. Strong overnight refreezes helped keep warming in check.