East Slopes North

Winds may drift a few inches of fresh snow into small slabs below ridgelines at upper elevations. We don't expect enough new snow to increase the avalanche danger, but use caution in extreme terrain where a fall could have serious consequences. 

The East North zone will likely win the lowest snow level award for the Cascades again on Tuesday, and we expect precipitation to stay as snow throughout this minor storm. Winds are forecasted to be light, but some stronger gusts may drift the new snow into small wind slabs. The forecast only calls for 2-3 inches of snow, so any wind slab avalanches will likely be smaller than your kitchen table. However, these may still knock you off balance and, in extreme terrain, could result in significant injuries. So watch for actively drifting snow, shooting cracks, or deeper drifts, and consider steering around them on consequential slopes. If the forecast doesn't fall in our favor, you could see a mix of freezing rain, sleet, or rain instead. Some small, wet loose avalanches may be possible if it's raining on dry snow or the rain breaks down surface crusts. 

Snowpack depths range from 5-6ft at upper elevations and approximately 4ft at mid-elevations. Snow surfaces above 6500ft are predominately sugary, dry snow. Below 6500ft, near the Cascade crest, a thin, breakable crust formed from light rain on December 10th. This crust is thinner and potentially absent in some places further east of the Cascade crest. In some locations, observers reported a preserved surface hoar layer beneath 1-3 inches of recent snow. We'll be tracking this weak layer as additional snow accumulates. A more robust, older crust (12/7) is buried approximately 16" below the surface.