Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

An uptick in winds and a skiff of new snow shouldn't be enough to increase avalanche potential on Thursday. That doesn't mean avalanches can't happen in isolated locations. Even a small slide can end your season in high-consequence terrain or when early-season hazards are involved.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    1

    Winds should start to increase on Thursday, but there likely isn't quite enough snow available for transport to start talking about consequential avalanches. That doesn't mean you won't find some wind skins or shallow drifts. Since we're expecting an easterly component, they could be on aspects where you're not used to finding them. Look for actively blowing snow and new drifts to help identify wind-loaded features to avoid, especially near ridgelines or rocky terrain such as confined gullies or the base of cliffs. On some slopes, they could form over a firm crust, giving them a good sliding surface.

    (12/8/2024)

    The wind likes to deposit snow in confined rocky chutes or near the base of cliffs. If you're going to find a problem, this is a likely location.

    Photo: Benjamin Pontecorvo

Avalanche Discussion

A pattern change is on the horizon for Snoqualmie Pass. Over the next few days, a small barrage of storm waves will try to break down our high-pressure ridge and deliver precipitation to the zone. On Thursday, we'll start with increasing wind speeds and maybe an inch or so of new snow. These alone won't be enough to get us into the moderate range, but as the weekend goes on, the hazard should slowly build. 

Conditions around the Pass have become aspect and elevation dependant this week. Southerly slopes contain a surface crust while shaded aspects hold well-settled snow from last weekend's storm. Naturally, snow depth increases greatly as you ascend in elevation. Weak surfaces have been reported, but we'll see how they fare during the onset of this pattern change. If they get buried intact, we'll have something interesting to talk about in a few days, so stay tuned. 

Below the surface, you'll find the 12/7 melt-freeze crust under last weekend's storm snow. That depth varies greatly by elevation and aspect as alluded to above, but it could be as much as a foot down at upper elevations. We had minimal avalanches reported this week, but a subtle layer just above the 12/7 has been highlighted during snowpack tests by avalanche professionals. We do not have any layers of concern below the 12/7 at this time.

Access to snowier environs continues to be difficult at Snoqualmie Pass. Down low, you will need to manage early-season hazards such as dirt, ice, exposed rocks, open creeks, holes, and bushes.

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