Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 6 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

A heavy round of wind may begin to overload buried weak layers in the snowpack. This is a tricky and dangerous setup, and it's not exactly clear what it will take to trigger an avalanche on the buried weak layers. All steep slopes are suspect, especially in wind-loaded terrain; Limit your time on large consequential slopes, especially on leeward-facing slopes, ridgelines, and cliffbands.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    There will be a blend of two avalanche problems on Thursday, but fortunately, you can mitigate both with similar tactics. Multiple buried weak layers continue to show signs of instability and potential for avalanches in Snoqualmie Pass. At the moment, these grains are nearly 2 feet beneath the surface, and observable avalanches are becoming less frequent. This doesn't mean the problem is going away; it might just mean you have to be in the right spot to find one. All steep slopes continue to pose a risk.

    Ridgeline winds will turn strong into Thursday, and there's a ton of fresh snow to be blown around out there. This is not your standard wind slab problem. Any fresh wind drifts and slabs will only further stress these buried weak layers, with the potential to produce even larger and more sensitive avalanches.

    Manage both of these issues with conservative terrain choice and appropriate travel technique. Limit your exposure to large, steep slopes by spacing out and maintaining consistent communication. Treat steep slopes as if they could release. If in doubt, lean on lower-angle terrain for a safer option.

    (2/24/2026)

    A natural, large (D3) persistent slab that released over 800 feet wide in the West South zone. This avalanche failed on the 2/13 buried surface hoar.

    Photo: Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol

Avalanche Discussion

Wednesday was a fairly mild day in the Pass, with temperatures above freezing at trailheads, and reports of minor wet loose instability on warming slopes. On average, 12-13 inches of heavy, dense snow fell near the crest between Sunday and Tuesday. This snow fell on top of another foot of lower-density snow from last week. Coverage has greatly improved in the backcountry, and for the first time in a while, it looks a lot more like winter out there. The buried 2/13 and 2/7 weak layers continue to show reasons for concern, but no new avalanches were observed on Wednesday.

Wind-drifted snow will be the more obvious issue on Thursday, but lingering buried weak layers are the problem you should be planning around. There is still quite a bit of uncertainty regarding the sensitivity of these weak layers, but the additional weight of wind-loaded snow may just be what's needed for them to fail.

As temperatures continue to climb, there may be a spike in wet avalanche activity around the Pass. Keep your eyes peeled for fresh roller balls, snow sticking to your skis or sled track, or snow shedding of rocks. If you see these signs, it may be a good time to move to colder or lower-angle slopes. 

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