Lawinenlagebericht

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 4 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Sun and above-freezing temperatures will increase the risk of wet avalanches. Avoid travel on or directly under slopes where you see rolling balls of snow, small wet avalanches, or where the snow is mushy and wet.  Look out for pockets of wind-drifted snow in steep, alpine terrain.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    A “slow bake” pattern seems to have kept wet avalanche activity to a steady trickle, but that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. More sun and warmer temperatures on Friday could bump things up—or not. Expect variability between drainages and watch for signs that wet avalanche activity is increasing. As usual, larger avalanches are possible on long fall-line slopes or in big alpine terrain.

    Be cautious about committing to terrain where your exit requires crossing steep, sun-exposed slopes or traveling under overhead hazards. If you find conditions warmer than expected, adjust early—before your options shrink.

    (4/16/2026)

    Rollerballs are often a precursor to natural wet loose avalanches. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

  • Wind Slabs

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

    There have been no observations of wind-transported snow in the core areas of Stevens Pass, but it’s likely a different story at upper elevations. The Tye wind station came back online Thursday afternoon and showed gusty, moderate winds at 5,000 feet, so expect some slab formation in alpine terrain. Look for signs of previous wind transport like fresh cornices, scoured snow, and changes in surface texture or stiffness. Most wind slabs should be small, but even a small slab could have high consequences in steep alpine terrain.

    (4/15/2026)

    Looking down the path of a human-triggered wind slab avalanche in East Central.

    SS-ASc-R3-D1.5-S

    Photo: Payton Schiff

Avalanche Discussion

A mid-April storm brought a return to winter conditions at Stevens Pass, with 12–16 inches of new snow falling on crust or wet snow from the recent warm-up. The snow settled quickly, and slab avalanche activity appeared limited, with only isolated reports of small slabs on very steep terrain. A natural l-cycle of loose dry avalanches likely occurred during and just after the storm.

No observations came in from Stevens Pass today. Web cams showed generally cloudy sky cover through the day,  but recent trends suggest the snow surface is sensitive to even brief warming. Prior sun breaks were enough to produce wet loose activity on solar aspects, with snow becoming moist and heavy below about 5,000 feet. 

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