East Slopes North

Often, recent snow plus sunshine and warm temperatures equals wet loose slides. That’s a good bet for Friday too, but periods of sunshine and gradually warming temperatures from the past few days may have taken the shock out of this transition. A crust at the surface will need to break down before this problem develops. Then you may push piles of wet snow on very steep and sunny slopes. These slides should be easy to anticipate, but don’t let one grab and drag you into places you were hoping to avoid. Small natural avalanches are also possible, particularly below cliffs and confined chutes. 

If things get really warm, you may see larger natural slides entraining significant amounts of recent snow. This is a different beast altogether. At this point, the scales are tipping, and it's time to get away from similar terrain. These slides would most likely be found on large, rocky, complex slopes that receive plenty of direct sunshine.

Blustery winds formed fresh slabs on Thursday, especially in more alpine terrain. WSDOT found plenty of visual evidence of wind transported snow and nearby slabs. Use clues like textured surfaces, drifts, and sharp cornices to highlight likely loaded slopes. While slabs often form near ridges and in the tops of chutes, you may also find them along the slides of mid-slope gullies and other exposed features. 

It may be tough to tell if these slabs will break or stay in place. There aren’t easy tests to give us the answer. Stick to less wind affected or lower angled slopes to get around these fresh slabs and enjoy the nearby soft snow.