Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 7 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

New snow and wind will heighten the avalanche hazard on Thursday. Unstable, wind loaded slopes are increasingly possible as you climb in elevation and into the wind. As the day warms up, wet avalanche activity will increase with the rain. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs will be increasingly possible with elevation gain on Thursday. A strengthening wind will make quick work of any available snow, which could be as much as 6 inches, redistributing it onto terrain downwind. Loading will be most pronounced near and below ridgelines, cliff bands, and rocky features or chutes. Avalanches are still expected to be small, but not inconsequential. Any pocket of unstable snow could drag you through rocks, trees, or off a cliff. With so little new snow at low elevations, this problem will be confined to middle and upper elevations.

    Wind loaded slopes often have a pillow or lens shape to its surface, with unusually deeper snow compared to surrounding areas. Look at wind lips, fresh cornice growth, or actively blowing slow to point you in the direction of loading. If you see these features, consider avoiding steep leeward facing terrain, and stick to lower angle slopes. 

    (1/10/2026)

    A blown in skin track, with snow blowing uphill from the southwest. This is a great indicator for identifying which way the snow is being transported.

    Photo: Sam Clairmont

  • Loose Wet

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

    Snow levels will continue to climb on Thursday, eventually applying rain-on-snow to all elevation bands. The timing of this problem will all depend on when the transition to rain occurs, and where you are in elevation. Any wet loose avalanches should be fairly small, but the biggest ones will occur in areas of deeper new snow. Low elevations have picked up minimal new snow before the rain started, thus the hazard will stay low. 

    If you get an early start to the day, and climb high enough, you may be able to avoid this problem altogether. But if you start to notice the surface snow turning damp and heavy, or see fresh roller balls, move to less steep terrain. 

    (1/12/2026)

    A long-running wet loose avalanche, triggered by snow shedding off the rocks.

    Photo: Trevor Kostanich

Avalanche Discussion

Wednesday brought an end to the two weeks of dry weather in Snoqualmie Pass. On average, 3–4 inches fell at lower elevations, with as much as 5 inches at upper elevations. The day tracked a little warmer than expected, with low elevations transitioning to rain in the morning hours. Nevertheless, it's great to see some snowfall return to the Pass, and more is on the way.

Snowfall will continue into Thursday, primarily for mid and upper elevations, and rain for lower elevations. As the day progresses, expect rain to creep higher and higher in elevation, eventually impacting the bottom of the upper elevation band. It's likely to be a wet, and soggy day out there, so getting an early start may be best to catch the coolest temperatures.

Backcountry travel is pretty tedious right now. Most areas have firm, roughed-up surfaces, with sections of dirt, and opened creeks. As snowfall continues, remember how shallow it is out there and what's underneath the new snow. It will take quite a bit more snow, to get us back to coverage of 3 weeks ago. 

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