Bollettino valanghe

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Thu
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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In sintesi

A cold spring storm will bring snow, wind, and a chance of avalanches. Steep slopes below ridgelines, the base of cliffs, and gullies are prime locations to trigger small slabs in wind-drifted snow. Seeking out sheltered terrain and steering around steep slopes with textured drifts can help you avoid avalanches.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs are most likely to form at mid and upper elevations on lee slopes below ridgelines and confined rocky features. Good indicators of wind-loaded slopes include blowing snow, cornice formations, and textured surfaces. You can use small test slopes to observe how the snow reacts.  Cracking or snow sliding easily as a slab are signs that you could trigger an avalanche on a larger, steep slope.  Choosing slopes that are sheltered from the wind or lower-angle terrain in wind-exposed locations are good travel options to avoid avalanches. 

    Avalanches will mostly be small but could slide easily on the underlying crusts. The consequences of a small slide could still be high if you were knocked off your feet or pushed into rocks or trees. On steep, sheltered terrain, dry loose avalanches could run easily on icy, old surfaces. 

    (2/8/2026)

    Steep slopes below corniced ridgelines, like in this photo are prime spots to trigger wind slabs on Wednesday.  

  • Loose Wet

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

    Conditions change rapidly with daytime warming and strong sunshine. The forecast isn't clear on how much sun we can expect on Wednesday, but it won't take much for wet avalanches to become a problem. If you start to notice rollerballs, trees shedding snow, or small natural wet loose avalanches, it's a good idea to move to shadier or lower-angle slopes. These avalanches tend to be more predictable than slab avalanches, but they can pick up a lot of mass as they move downhill. Make sure you're not exposed to snow sliding off rocks from above, and avoid stopping where your partners could push wet snow down towards you. Temperatures could be down in the teens by Wednesday morning, so we don't expect wet avalanches to involve any of the older snow. 

    (2/4/2026)

    Rollerballs from rocks and trees are often the first sign of wet avalanche problems. 

    Photo: NCH

Avalanche Discussion

We'll enjoy a brief return of winter on Wednesday with a storm that could bring up to 4-6" of snow and strong winds to the East North zone. Temperatures should cool rapidly, which is favorable. But given the limited access at this time of year, we have little information about old snow surfaces. You can use quick hand pits while traveling to assess this new interface. If snow slides easily, avalanches are more likely. 

Recent observations indicate that surfaces have undergone multiple melt-freeze cycles, and thick crusts exist on most snow surfaces. Warm weather over the weekend created some variability in how refrozen the surfaces were each morning, but with cold temperatures on Wednesday, we don't expect that deep, wet snow to be an ongoing concern. Instead, you should expect hard, icy surfaces below the new snow. In many areas, the new snow won't be deep enough to prevent slick surfaces below from being a travel hazard. Consider bringing equipment to make travel easier and prevent long falls on steep terrain. 

Snow cover is thin on southerly slopes and at low elevations. Be aware of exposed rocks and open creeks. WSDOT has begun plowing operations on Hwy 20 between Silver Star trailhead and Newhalem. The road will be closed to all traffic Monday through Thursday while workers and machinery are operating.

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