Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 8 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Stormy weather will cause the avalanche danger to increase throughout the day. If you start to see signs of unstable snow like cracking or small avalanches, they’ll only get worse. All steep open terrain could be suspect once the new snow gets deeper than about your ankle.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    There probably won’t be any fresh storm slabs to begin the day. Instead, the danger will start first in wind loaded areas where snow can drift into thicker and stiffer slabs. With more than a foot of dry snow over the last crust, there’s plenty of ammunition out there for the winds to work with. Don’t overthink it. Blowing snow hitting you in the face shows local wind patterns and which features may be loaded.

    As more snow piles up, the hazard could expand to all steep open slopes. The good news is you can track and assess this as the hazard is developing. Small hand pits, hand shears, and shovel tilt tests will let you see how the new snow is reacting even while it’s shallow. If you start seeing the snow failing easily in cohesive blocks, then anticipate this problem getting worse as the slab gets thicker. Dial it back and stay off of all steep open areas. 

    By the end of the day, dangerous conditions could develop, particularly at higher elevations and in wind loaded terrain. Don’t box yourself in. Make sure your travel plans have an easy way back to the car if the snowpack reaches or passes its breaking point.

    (1/5/2026)

    Shovel tilt test do a great job of highlighting subtle inter-storm layers, even when they are shallow. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Loose Wet

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    Near and below Pass level, the snow could get wet and heavy in the afternoon. Even if it's not raining, you might encounter wet loose slides as the heavier snow sheds from trees and rock, or you trigger one on a steep slope. Rollerballs and small point release slides are your obvious clues that additional avalanches could occur in similar terrain.

    (1/2/2026)

    Small rollerballs show the snow surface is little wet and sticky. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

A series of winter storms are poised to bring several feet of much needed snow to the Pass. YAY! Round one on Tuesday has it all: warming temperatures, very strong winds, and heavy precipitation rates. Danger may peak during periods of intense snowfall or spikes in temperature. As the storm rages into the evening, expect the hazard to continue to climb.

There’s some uncertainty about the timing of the heavier precipitation. We think it will mainly arrive in the afternoon, but it could be late. If it doesn’t showup until the evening, you may be dealing with less avalanche concerns, but the winds should still easily form slabs in exposed terrain. 

The snowpack appears well situated to handle the new snow load. While we anticipate avalanches to fail within the new snow (or at the new interface), they could entrain down to the Jan 3 crust. This layer was a foot or more below the surface on Monday. Below the Jan 3 crust, the snowpack seems well settled and strong. 

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