West Slopes Central

Conditions and avalanche danger can change quickly under the strong spring sun. Slopes that were dry or crusty can rapidly become wet and unstable.

Follow the sun—east in the morning, south midday, and west in the afternoon—and expect avalanche activity to increase as slopes heat up. This time of year, only small, due-north aspects are likely to stay cool.

Expect rollerballs followed by small wet avalanches. You can trigger wet avalanches on steep, moist slopes, while natural avalanches are most likely in steep, rocky terrain and can grow larger as they move downhill. Avoid lingering beneath steep slopes, gullies, or avalanche paths that are heating up, especially if you see rollerballs or wet loose activity nearby.

Southern portions of the zone received a foot or more of snow at higher elevations on Thursday. Much less exists further north, so avalanche conditions could be very different depending on where you are in the zone. Consider avoiding large, steep slopes where dry snowfall amounts reach close to a foot, which is probably mainly on shady, upper elevation terrain.

If you experience long, shooting cracks, recent avalanches, or whumphing, those are clear signs to avoid travel on steep slopes. Given the wide range of conditions across the zone and limited recent information, evaluate a slope's stability with test slopes, hand pits, and other simple tests to assess the bond of new snow layers over the underlying snow. Avalanches could be larger and more reactive in wind-loaded areas. When in doubt, stick to lower angled, simpler terrain. In extreme terrain, the consequences of being caught in even a small slide are amplified.