Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Recent rain and sustained warmth are keeping the threat of large wet avalanches and cornice falls alive. While not every upper and mid-elevation slope is a problem, there’s no reliable way to spot the ones that are. If you’re not steering clear entirely, limit your time on and beneath steep slopes, avalanche paths, and sagging cornices.

 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    2–3

    The full buffet of wet avalanches is on offer Thursday: wet slab, glide, wet loose, and cornice failures. Though the temperatures will be cooler than the past few days, that won't have an effect on the freewater deeper in the snowpack driving the ongoing avalanche danger. While wet loose avalanches could be triggered by a human on a steep slope or fail naturally, our biggest concern is that a destructive wet or glide slab avalanche could release on its own, without warning. These slides are most likely to originate at the upper and middle-elevations, but if a big one lets go, it could run for thousands of feet, breaking trees as it charges down into the lower-elevations. In addition, cornices are sagging in the heat and if they fail, they could trigger slab or loose avalanches below. The chances of a large avalanche may have decreased, but the snowpack is full of free water and we are receiving reports of continued wet slab activity in neighboring zones. 

    Here's the thing, the one certainty with wet and glide avalanche prediction is uncertainty. It's quite possible that you won't see large avalanches on steep slopes tomorrow, but we also wouldn't be surprised to see a very large and destructive avalanche release naturally. How to manage uncertainty like that is a personal decision, but recognize that this problem is still out there and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, it would likely be unsurvivable. The safest bet is still avoidance, closely followed by minimizing your exposure and traveling quickly and one at a time if you have to cross a path.

    (3/25/2025)

    Crowns from a very large wet slab avalanche on Granite Mountain. Debris was found thousands of feet below in a low-elevation gully.

    Photo: Arya Farahani

Avalanche Discussion

It was another warm one at the Pass, with temperatures reaching 50 degrees at the top of Alpental. We have no new observations from the zone, but on Tuesday, recreationists, Patrollers, the DOT, and NWAC Forecasters observed multiple large crowns on Granite, Denny, and Silver, as well as glide cracks and releases, cornice failures, and gouging wet loose avalanches that likely occurred during the 3+" of rainfall on 3/23-3/24. Though that may have been the crescendo of activity, free water in the snowpack is still percolating to parts unknown, and we don't trust it. The 6" of snowpack settlement in the past 24 hours is a clear indication that the snowpack is still adjusting and changing. While lower-elevations appear to be well-drained and unlikely to produce a large avalanche, deeper interfaces on certain slopes may only just be seeing liquid water. On Wednesday, very large wet slab avalanches occurred naturally on Mt. Hood and were triggered by explosives at Crystal, illustrating the unpredictability and continued danger. Ultimately, we need a solid refreeze, and we won't get one yet. Thunderstorms Wednesday night aren't likely to significantly alter the landscape on Thursday, but they won't help things either. 

What does this mean for mountain travel? Well, for one, travel conditions are sloppy, sticky, and arduous, at all elevations. As far as the avalanches are concerned, we can't rule out a large and destructive slide, and that should be the thing shaping your decision-making. In addition, another round of afternoon thunderstorms could roll in Thursday, so make a plan to get out of the mountains quickly if need be. The general weather pattern for the next few weeks looks decent and there is plenty of snow in the mountains. The transition season can be tough, but stay patient; both avalanche and travel conditions should improve soon. 

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