East Slopes Central
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Payton Schiff
Issued: Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineThe likelihood of encountering wetted and weakened snow on all aspects and elevations as the warm Spring day progresses will increase. Slabs of wind-drifted snow may still exist in exposed, upper-elevation terrain, which, if triggered, could entrain wet snow on their way down. Have a route plan that allows you to easily move to lower-angle at any point in the day if you don’t like what you see.
Avalanche Danger
Sunday, April 19, 2026
7500-6000ft2 - Moderate
6000-5000ft2 - Moderate
5000-2500ft1 - Low
Monday, April 20, 2026
7500-6000ft0 - No Rating
6000-5000ft0 - No Rating
5000-2500ft0 - No Rating
Avalanche Danger ScaleLearn moreGeneral InfoGeneral Information1 - LowLow2 - ModModerate3 - ConsConsiderable4 - HighHigh5 - ExtrExtreme
1 - Low | 2 - Moderate |  3 - Considerable |  4 - High |  5 - Extreme | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Advice | Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern. | Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making essential. | Very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain not recommended. | Extraordinarily dangerous avalanche conditions. Avoid all avalanche terrain. |
| Likelihood of Avalanches | Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely. | Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible. | Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely. | Natural avalanches likely; human-triggered avalanches very likely. | Natural and human-triggered avalanches certain. |
| Avalanche Size and Distribution | Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain. | Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas. | Small avalanches in many areas; or large avalanches in specific areas; or very large avalanches in isolated areas. | Large avalanches in many areas; or very large avalanches in specific areas. | Very large avalanches in many areas. |
Avalanche Problems (2)
Problem #1: Wet Loose
Problem Type
Wet Loose
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
(4/18/2026)
A recent intentionally triggered small wet loose avalanche near Mission Peak.
Sunday will mark yet another temperature uptick. At this point in the season, anticipate warming and weakening on all aspects. Northerly aspects may actually be the most reactive on Sunday, as more southerly slopes have already seen a decent amount of sunshine, or may just lack snow altogether. Hazard is low at lower elevations due to a lack of snow and minimal recent snowfall.
Watch for surfaces that feel increasingly moist and sticky as surface crusts formed overnight begin to break down. Chunks of snow falling from terrain features or rollerballs tumbling down from your equipment are a sure sign of increasing instability. These avalanches should be limited in size, but they could run far on an underlying crust. You can reduce your risk by traveling earlier in the day or sticking to shadier slopes.
Recently formed cornices along ridgelines are susceptible to falling suddenly due to warming. Don't linger underneath these, or other cliffy terrain that is holding snow.
Problem #2: Wind Slab
Problem Type
Wind Slab
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
Standing at the top of a small (D1.5) skier triggered wind slab avalanche in the Teanaway. Avg crown depth was 6-8in and the slide propagated about 200 ft wide.
SS-ASc-R3-D1.5-S
Photo: Payton SchiffWind slabs were reactive on Wednesday, and observers have continued to report signs of instability as recently as Saturday. Slabs could fail either on a mid-storm layer or on a crust buried 1-2 feet below. If triggered, they could entrain wet loose snow on their way down and grow bigger than anticipated. The closer you are to the Cascade Crest, the thicker slabs will be. Hazard is generally lower to the east, where less snow accumulated.
You'll most likely find lingering instability on north and east aspects. Wind slabs typically form just below exposed ridgelines and within gully walls (cross-loading). Use visual clues to determine where slabs may still lurk downslope, such as textured/uneven surfaces and recently formed drifts/cornices. At this point, it's unlikely you'll get clear signs of instability, such as shooting cracks, blowing snow, or recent slab avalanches. You can reduce your risk by choosing smaller slopes with less exposed hazards below, or avoid this problem entirely by steering around exposed, wind-affected slopes steeper than 35 degrees.
Forecast Discussion
This will be the last avalanche forecast for the 25-26 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through May 3rd. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter!
Earlier in the week, the western parts of East Central picked up 9-12 inches of new snow, accompanied by strong wind from the west. These same areas collected another few inches on Wednesday night. Areas to the east were largely rain-shadowed throughout the week, minimizing precipitation and subsequent avalanche hazard. Since then, each day has been slightly warmer than the last, despite some chilly low-level east wind.
An NWAC Forecaster traveling in the Teanaway on Wednesday observed several triggered and natural wind slab avalanches at upper elevations. Some of these slides picked up wet loose snow on their way down. An avalanche professional traveling around Icicle Creek on Thursday noted continued wind transport at ridgelines. Most recently, a public observer recreating around Mission Peak on Saturday reported cracking in dry, wind-loaded snow. They also triggered a small wet loose avalanche on a northeast aspect. This informative observation verifies that, despite it being quite a few days from the initial loading event as well as the first of many warm days, avalanches of both kinds are still a concern in the terrain.
Whatever outing you have planned, be sure to have an exit strategy that keeps you out of avalanche terrain where warmed, weakened snow may fall. This includes terrain where wind-affected snow influenced by warming can fail. Don't get yourself backed into a corner by having to descend a steep, hot, sunny slope at 4:00 in the afternoon, for example.
There are plenty of exposed hazards in the terrain right now, thanks to our meager winter, so consider the consequences of getting caught up in even a small avalanche. There isn't much of a snowpack left at lower elevations, and sunny aspects like west and south are looking bare well into the mid-elevations. Consider packing trail shoes for traveling over dry ground to reach a more robust snowpack at upper elevations.
This information is provided by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and describes general backcountry avalanche hazard and conditions.
It does not apply to ski areas and highways where avalanche mitigation is conducted.