West Slopes North
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Irene Henninger
Issued: Friday, April 3, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineAs the sun intensifies, expect increasing wet avalanche activity, including natural avalanches, especially in steep, rocky terrain- and there might be enough activity to catch you off guard and surprise you. If snow becomes wet and soggy—around you or on unseen overhead slopes—move away from steep terrain and runout zones below. At higher elevations, lingering pockets of wind-drifted snow can still be triggered, so steer around large, steep slopes, especially in extreme terrain.
Avalanche Danger
Saturday, April 4, 2026
7500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4500ft2 - Moderate
4500-2500ft2 - Moderate
Sunday, April 5, 2026
7500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4500ft2 - Moderate
4500-2500ft1 - Low
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
Wet loose avalanches running on the south side of Table Mtn during peak solar intensity.
Photo: Hilary GrohConditions 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.
Problem #2: Wind Slab
Problem Type
Wind Slab
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
(4/3/2026)
A small, D1.5 human-triggered soft slab avalanche that released in a wind slab near a ridgeline plus a rocky outcropping, where drifts tend to collect. This slope rolled over, becoming steeper and unsupported, often where avalanches are more likely to be triggered. SS-ASu-D1.5
Photo: Harrison Brickman - Bellingham Mtn Rescue
Two small human-triggered wind slabs were reported Friday, likely failing in recent snow about a foot deep. Watch for clear warning signs like shooting cracks, recent avalanches, or whumphing. Look for drifted “pillows” on steep rollovers, near rocks, and on leeward ridges, and consider avoiding these areas—especially in high-consequence terrain where even small slides matter.
With Moderate danger, human-triggered slab avalanches remain possible. Sun and warming should help stabilize things, but not completely yet. Keep in mind that a wet loose avalanche could step down and trigger a slab on a steep, unsupported slope.
Forecast Discussion
A backcountry group aiming to ski Mt. Shuksan reported long shooting cracks while skinning at higher elevations. As they continued, they triggered a small slab avalanche and chose to retreat. They also observed a large avalanche running through a gully to lower elevations. It’s unclear if it started wet or dry, but it gained significant mass in the confined terrain. Gullies and other high-exposure terrain like this are places to avoid traveling in or beneath on Saturday.
Saturday will differ from the past couple days. On Thursday, Heather Meadows saw a natural cycle of wet loose avalanches in about 4 inches of new snow as warm, cloudy conditions affected all aspects. Similar snowfall was reported Friday morning, and with less cloud cover, most surfaces became moist by early afternoon, with rollerballs forming on steep south aspects.
Expect most surfaces to start with a crust Saturday, except for higher elevation shady slopes that may still hold dry snow. Information at upper elevations is limited. Crusts will likely soften quickly, with warming temperatures leading to plenty of soggy snow later in the day.
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.