Snoqualmie Pass

Friday offers one last day of mild weather and low avalanche danger before conditions begin to change. If you venture out, anticipate variable sliding surfaces and give yourself extra time to manage early-season obstacles like exposed rocks, open creeks, and thinly covered shrubbery. Shady aspects in higher terrain still hold some cold snow.

An incoming storm arriving late Friday night into Saturday will bring rain, snow, and increasing avalanche danger.

Temperatures dipped slightly at upper elevations on Thursday, coming in a few degrees cooler than earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the inversion bumped down in elevation, allowing Alpental's mid-mountain station to climb above freezing for the first time in days! Down at pass level, things were cold and dark, yet again. Above the inversion, Friday will bring another dry day with filtered sunshine beneath high clouds, light winds, and temperatures at 5000' once again climbing into the mid-to-upper 40s. The Pass itself stays cool and cloudy as east winds keep the inversion going. Mid-level clouds will increase later in the day as the weather begins to shift.

On Wednesday, NWAC forecasters visited Stevens Pass, and their observations likely reflect conditions in the Snoqualmie Pass zone as well. They found soft, dry snow on north-facing slopes, while south-facing aspects presented some breakable crusts and trickier surface conditions.  This video captures just how much current snow conditions depend on aspect. Reports from nearby zones point to generally safe avalanche conditions with travel that’s enjoyable yet occasionally challenging.

This stretch of calm, spring-like weather will come to an end Friday night as a storm moves into the Cascades. Rain, even at upper elevations, is expected to begin after 10 PM with snow levels beginning above the Cascade Crest. On the bright side, the storm is forecasted to exit cold, leaving behind a refresh of snow. 

The main take away for now is that this storm marks a significant change to the snowpack, and avalanche danger is expected to rise on Saturday. Look to Saturday’s forecast for updated information on timing, snow levels, and the increasing avalanche hazard.

For now, enjoy one final day of calm weather—hopefully that's the last of it!