Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
Open full map
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Kernpunkte

You could trigger an avalanche in any area holding sheltered, deep snow or wind-loaded snow. Careful evaluation of the snow is crucial before approaching steep or consequential terrain. If the slopes look unusually deep, or you notice cracking, collapsing, or active wind loading, consider sticking to lower-angle terrain. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    Snowfall will continue overnight into Friday across all elevation bands, maintaining the risk of storm slab avalanches wherever deep snow exists. Wind speeds may lessen compared to the previous days, but wind-loaded snow will add to the deep storm snow. Areas of wind-loaded snow could be particularly sensitive and capable of producing large avalanches. At upper elevations, the 3/12 crust may not exist, and there's a chance of avalanches breaking deeper down into the recent storm snow below.

    There is still a lot of new snow on the way for Snoqualmie Pass, and human-triggered avalanches are likely. This isn't the time to charge into steep terrain. Start with smaller, lower-angle slopes and assess the stability before approaching consequential lines. Use conservative routes that limit your exposure to steep terrain above and around you. 

    (3/11/2026)

    A fresh storm slab crown in the Mushroom Couloir area of the Alpental Valley.

    Photo: Cumulus Quarry

Avalanche Discussion

The last 24 hours brought some incredible weather to Snoqualmie Pass. We got it all: wind, rain, and snow! The summit of Alpental recorded gusts into the 100s on Wednesday night, with sustained wind in the 60s mph. At the Pass level, rain fell at ~.2-.3"/hr with one hour recording 0.45". Wednesday nights warm up brought rain to the lower and middle elevations, sparing much of the upper elevations. Observers in the Commonwealth area noted the newly formed crust (the 3/12 crust) buried under ~8" of new snow by mid-afternoon. There were a few reports of wet loose avalanche activity in the Alpental Valley and Commonwealth.

Overall, minimal significant avlacnhe activity was reported on Thursday, but information is also very limited at this time. With power outages and difficult travel conditions, there's a fair bit of uncertainty around how the snowpack has reacted to the new load. In surrounding zones, there have been many reported large to very large avalanches, and we expect the same to have occurred for Snoqualmie Pass. Snowfall will continue to stack up Thursday night into Friday, tacking more weight on top of the newly formed 3/12 crust.

As the weather improves, approach the mountains carefully. The snowpack has picked up a ton of snow and water, and anytime there is a big change in the weather, we need to give the snowpack time to adjust. 

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