West Slopes Central
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Irene Henninger
Issued: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineRain has persisted for more than three days resulting in very soggy conditions and a wide range of wet avalanches problems. Large and very large avalanches are possible on steep slopes, and natural activity may occur, including cornice failures, glide avalanches, and chunks of snow falling from rocks. Avoid all steep terrain. If you observe large natural avalanches, conditions may be more dangerous than anticipated—stay out of avalanche terrain entirely, which includes lower angle terrain where avalanche run and stop.
Avalanche Danger
Thursday, March 19, 2026
7500-5500ft3 - Considerable
5500-4500ft3 - Considerable
4500-2500ft3 - Considerable
Friday, March 20, 2026
7500-5500ft3 - Considerable
5500-4500ft3 - Considerable
4500-2500ft3 - Considerable
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 (1)
Problem #1: Wet Slab
Problem Type
Wet Slab
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
(3/18/2026)
Wet slab avalanches that likely released Tuesday night or Wednesday morning in the neighboring West North zone. Similar avalanche activity likely resulted in the West Central zone.
Photo: Zack McGill - Cascade Mtn Ascents
Avoid travel on all steep slopes, especially areas near rocks and large, unsupported features that roll over and get steeper. If you see many fresh, natural avalanches gouging deep into the snowpack, or large wet slabs releasing, then very dangerous conditions exist. It's time to take a full step back and avoid all avalanche terrain, including lower-angle slopes beneath steep slopes.
Over four inches of rain fell in the southern half of the zone Tuesday night and Wednesday. Snow is saturated and wet, and we suspect there's been a lot of avalanche activity during this time. After a round of wet loose avalanches Monday morning when rain began, avalanche activity may have continued with failures on the 3/8 crust, 1-2ft below the snow surface on Wednesday.
There's a chance that avalanches could release deeper as the rain continues. Conditions remain highly uncertain, but ongoing rain suggests a shift toward lower likelihood, higher consequence avalanches, with fewer yet larger avalanches happening. Don't forget that when danger is Considerable, natural avalanches are possible. Additional avalanches like glides, falling snow chunks on steep rock features, and cornice failures could also happen.
Forecast Discussion
Since Monday morning, the southern half of the zone has received about 6" of rain, whereas northern parts have received closer to 2". Strong winds on Wednesday will continue overnight before easing somewhat by Thursday afternoon. You can expect around an inch and a half of rain Wednesday night and not quite that much on Thursday.
This is an atypical setup, with prolonged rain creating significant uncertainty in the forecast. Careful, on-the-ground evaluation is essential if you head into the backcountry. Use recent avalanche activity as your primary clue when deciding whether to travel in avalanche terrain. Conditions are also difficult, with wet, heavy snow, open creek holes, and other hazards that make travel slow and more challenging.
Before the rain, the southern half of the zone received up to 4 feet of snow, with the 3/12 crust midway and the 3/8 crust at the bottom of the storm layer. There was closer to 2 feet of snow further north. A natural avalanche cycle likely occurred Friday morning in areas with more snow, whereas further north, the largest concerns were small dry loose avalanches. We expect avalanche conditions to vary extensively across the range depending on past snowfall amounts and recent rainfall for Thursday.
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.