East Slopes North

A snowy storm system is making its way into our forecast region, but will not begin impacting the East North zone until Tuesday. This slow moving system will take its time pushing warm temperatures out and dropping freezing levels to only around 6000 ft by the end of the day. Anticipate more clouds along the Cascade Crest Sunday night and Monday, with clearer skies to the east.

While avalanches are unlikely, there are still mountain hazards to consider. Even with slim chances, the consequences of a cornice fall or a rock face shedding snow could be significant. Cornices are very large and overhang many ridges. Many steep cliffs and rock faces are still covered with significant snow, as the overall snowpack coverage in East North is robust. Even at low danger, it's wise to minimize your exposure to potential overhead hazards. 

Recent observations have found that surfaces have been solidly frozen and supportive. On the 10th, observers on Big Craggy Mountain reported solid freezes at all elevations despite temperature inversions, supportive crusts, and softening surface snow on south aspects throughout the day. On the 11th, WSDOT forecasters reported similar conditions at Washington Pass. No new observations came in on the 12th. We suspect that within the snowpack, you can still find snow that hasn't transitioned to melt forms, especially on high northerly aspects.

Prepare for firm crusts first thing in the morning. Bring traction equipment, like crampons (ski/boot) or whippets, to prevent an uncontrolled fall on steep, frozen slopes. With some overnight clouds to the west limiting cooling, and daytime sunshine to the east, you may find that surfaces soften quickly on Monday, even on northerly aspects. Especially if you travel above 6,500ft, take time to check how thick the surface crusts are. Although no new avalanches have been reported since the 5th, when small to large wet slides occurred on all aspects and elevations, there's a chance that you could find areas of wet and unsupportive snow sufficient enough to trigger small wet avalanches. If you sink into the snow past your boot tops, it's time to move to lower-angle terrain. 

Snow cover is thin on southerly slopes and at low elevations. Be aware of exposed rocks and open creeks. WSDOT has begun plowing operations on Hwy 20 between Silver Star trailhead and Newhalem. The road will be closed to all traffic Monday through Thursday while workers and machinery are operating.