West Slopes North
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Irene Henninger
Issued: Monday, March 30, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineOn Monday, people triggered a range of avalanches from small loose slides to soft storm and wind deposits, with a few larger ones mixed in. Triggering one will be harder on Tuesday, but still possible on steep slopes, especially at higher elevations where wind has had more effect. Avalanches will mostly be small and predictable—steer around steep terrain, or expect to trigger one if you enter it.
Avalanche Danger
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
7500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4500ft2 - Moderate
4500-2500ft1 - Low
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
7500-5500ft3 - Considerable
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 (1)
Problem #1: Storm Slab
Problem Type
Storm Slab
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
(3/30/2026)
Small soft slabs and sluffs in very steep terrain with a human trigger. They ran on the crust beneath the 6-10 inches of snow that fell in the previous days.
Photo: Jess Trimble
Triggering avalanches will be more difficult than the previous day. You might still be able to release very soft storm slabs on steep slopes. Wind slabs exist, especially at higher elevations, and with any uptick in wind, new slabs will form since there's plenty of light, dry snow to move around. Avalanches will be larger and more reactive in wind-loaded areas. Finally, you can also expect to initiate loose dry avalanches on steep, shady slopes.
There's about 4-10" of new snow sitting over a heavier surface throughout the zone. In many areas, a crust lies beneath the old crust, which has been acting as a great sliding surface for the low density snow.
You might not be popping off as many avalanches as folks were the day prior, but either way, when you enter steep terrain, expect that you could trigger an avalanche. Make a plan beforehand for what to do if a slope slides. Your biggest concern is being in high-consequence terrain, where getting caught off guard when triggering an avalanche might send you off a cliff, through rocks or trees, or into a gully.
For Tuesday, have a plan if you're entering steep terrain, and consider opting for gentler runouts over extreme terrain. When in doubt, stick to lower-angle slopes.
Forecast Discussion
It's spring, and crusts are a common theme. Steep slopes on the southern half of the compass will likely have a thin crust on the surface after a healthy shot of sun was delivered on Monday. Although thin, it will probably be locking up any new snow avalanche concerns on these aspects and lower elevations, except for new wind-slab formation over the crust. Beneath the new snow, a crust exists in most places, except on upper-elevation north aspects. So far, snow has been sliding easily on the crust.
It'll be mostly cloudy on Tuesday, and temperatures will be a little warmer than Monday, with freezing levels rising to about 4500ft. There will probably be softening at lower elevations, but hard surfaces up higher will likely stay firm.
A warm period wrapped up Friday, and we've since received more snow than expected around the zone, totaling about .6-1 inch of water. Now settled, this translates to around 4-10 inches of new snow in many areas. After a brief break between storms, we'll be heading into our next storm Tuesday night and another uptick in avalanche danger for Wednesday.
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.