Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

Shifting winds may deposit snow onto aspects where you're not used to finding wind slabs. Use visual clues such as actively blowing snow or new drifts to help identify unstable slopes to avoid. Early-season conditions are limiting access to higher terrain, with numerous natural hazards present.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    As you ascend in elevation, the snow will be deeper, drier, and more exposed to shifting winds. Look for wind slabs on the leeward side of ridgelines, near rocky features such as chutes or the base of cliffs, and on convex rollovers. You can use visual clues such as textured surfaces, newly developed cornices, or large pillow-like drifts to help identify slopes that may be wind-loaded. With the wind direction flip-flopping all over the place this week, you may find usual loading patterns or slabs on atypical aspects. Take it slow and assess conditions carefully, using small test slopes or uptrack tests to look for instability in the upper snowpack. If you suspect a slope is wind-loaded, seek out sheltered, lower-angled terrain.

    (12/21/2025)

    Visual clues can help identify which direction the wind has been blowing lately. In this example, you can see a wind slab avalanche that failed naturally in the background.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

On Tuesday, you can expect another few inches of fresh snow and shifting winds. The new snow will continue to add depth to our early-season snowpack over the 12/18 melt-freeze crust. This interface may be as much as 20 inches below the surface up high, or basically the ground down low. We expect all avalanche activity to occur in the snow above this easily identifiable crust, so now you know where to focus your stability assessments.

This past week, the snowpack at Snoqualmie Pass has gone from essentially zero to serviceable at lower elevations. Access to middle and upper elevations remains a challenge, so we are still operating with a high degree of uncertainty. We know the snow has been stacking up, and conditions are much more winterlike. One way to address this uncertainty is to question every steep open slope. Make sure to check all the recent snow, right down to the crust, and don't just assume that what you see at lower elevations translates to the upper slopes.

With a generally shallow snowpack for this time of year, there are plenty of natural obstacles to avoid. Open creeks, logs, bushes, and rocks are littered throughout the landscape. Take your time navigating these hazards and remember that even a small slide can be problematic when terrain traps are involved.

State and local resources are working diligently to reduce the impacts of destructive storms that occurred earlier this month. We can help by respecting affected communities, complying with road closures, and adhering to ski area uphill travel policies.

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