Snoqualmie Pass

Avalanche danger is low, but continue to practice good travel techniques and watch for signs of instability in the new snow. If you're traveling in upper elevations, you could find small pockets of wind-drifted snow in isolated areas where you could trigger a small avalanche. 

On Tuesday, Snoqualmie Pass picked up 3-5 inches of snow with steady winds. By this point, we expect these wind slabs to have become stubborn. However, if you're traveling at upper elevations, you could find some isolated areas where a small wind slab surprises you. Make careful assessments, feel for stiff slabs, and choose lower-angle terrain if you see signs of instability, such as shooting cracks. Even these little slides can have high consequences in extreme terrain. 

Another consideration for spring travel is that it is a dynamic time of year, and even though temperatures are much colder, the sun packs a lot of energy this time of year. Snow surfaces can heat up rapidly, even through thin cloud cover, and dry snow can quickly become wet avalanche problems. If you start to see snow become wet and punchy, move to shadier or lower-angle terrain. 

Observations from Friday through Sunday indicated a fairly widespread wet loose avalanche cycle on E-S-W aspects. Most of these avalanches were small, with a few larger slides around the Kendall area. Lower elevations have been through many warm days in the last few weeks and are beginning to melt out quite rapidly. Be prepared for unexpected travel hazards such as creeks, rocks, and stumps.

Observations this time of year are limited. Let us know what you find by submitting an observation!