East Slopes North

Avalanche conditions are generally safe in much of the zone and avalanches are unlikely. Keep an eye out for the unlikely chance that winds recently drifted slabs of snow at upper elevations.  Expect variable travel conditions with crusty and wind-affected surfaces. 

On Thursday, you can expect warmer temperatures and partly cloudy skies. Winds have been moderate over the past few days both from the southwest and northerly directions. The danger is low because there's little soft snow available to transport. Most areas of wind-drifted snow are now old and unreactive. While it's unlikely, it's still a good idea to keep an eye out for any freshly formed drifts where you might be able to trigger a small wind slab avalanche. If you find yourself on sun-exposed slopes where the sun is warming the snow surface, keep an eye out for rollerballs or other signs of wet avalanches. 

 Around the 25th, warm temperatures and sun formed crusts on steep, sun-exposed slopes. On shaded slopes, the snow on the surface and directly above the MLK crust is beginning to facet and weaken. Some observers have reported propagating test results on this layer. While it's not currently contributing to the avalanche danger, this layer could be a concern during future storms. We've also been tracking a layer of buried surface hoar from January 5th. Near Washington Pass, it's around 2.5ft below the snow surface but shallowly buried in the easternmost portion of the zone. Snowpack tests indicate the potential for propagation above about 5,500ft or in eastern portions of the zone, where the overlying MLK crust is thin or not present. 

The snowpack near the eastern edge of the zone is more shallow, and you may find weak layers of snow more susceptible to triggering an avalanche. In the lower-elevation foothills, warm and wet conditions transformed previously weak, low-elevation snow into melt forms.  While we have little recent info here, we suspect weak layers are forming adjacent to crusts in the upper half of the snowpack.