Lawinenlagebericht

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sat
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

Friday will be a messy weather day at Snoqualmie Pass, with snow, wind, rain, and freezing rain all expected. Generally speaking, you'll need to manage wet avalanche problems down low and dry ones up high. Travel hazards will exist everywhere and may be heightened by the storm.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    Our first storm of 2026 is warmer than we'd like, so you'll likely need to manage wet avalanche problems on Friday. Look for wet slides wherever rain is falling on dry snow, or where a wet, weak snow surface exists. New rollerballs, pinwheels, or fan-shaped avalanche debris are all indicators of wet loose avalanches. If you see these signs, head for lower-angled terrain. 

    If the rain keeps coming and water can work deeper into the snowpack, you may see a few slabs release on the 12/24 crust. We suspect these will be few and far between, but if you see slab avalanches, you're dealing with a more dangerous and less predictable problem, so vacate the area.

    (1/1/2026)

    Pinwheels are a precursor to wet avalanches. They occur when the snow surface is wet, weak, and sticky.

    Photo: Tom C

  • Wind Slabs

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

    If you make it above the rain/snow line, you will need to manage dry snow issues. The most likely problem you'll encounter up high is unstable wind slabs on leeward slopes. Look for them near ridgelines, on convex features, or near rocky terrain such as confined chutes or the base of cliffs. Textured surfaces, actively blowing snow, and fresh drifts are visual clues you can use to identify wind-loaded features to avoid. If they form over a firm crust, they could trigger easily. Using small test slopes or quick hand pits can help you gauge how large or sensitive these slabs may be. 

    (12/30/2025)

    Cracking of the snow surface in wind-drifted snow on Silver Peak. Uptrack tests or small test slopes can provide feedback like this to help you identify whether you have a wind slab problem.

    Photo: Arya Farahani

Avalanche Discussion

Friday is going to be a tricky weather day, making it hard to lay out the challenges you may face from an avalanche perspective. We know precipitation is on its way, along with wind and warmer than usual temperatures. However, there's a lot of nuance to the weather forecast, especially when it concerns the infamous Snoqualmie Pass.

Essentially, you need to be prepared for the full spectrum of precipitation types: freezing rain, rain, and snow. Pinpointing exactly when and where each of these will fall is difficult. Keep an eye on how the weather is unfolding wherever you are - what kind of precipitation is falling? How is the snow surface reacting? Those observations will help guide you toward the avalanche problems you need to manage.

Freezing rain should be more likely at lower elevations, including the Pass proper and the eastern approach. Although it sounds nasty, this may actually help us in the long run by keeping our thin lower-elevation snowpack in place. Not to mention, there won't be much avalanche hazard if everything is coated in ice. 

This storm will fall on a strong, well-settled snowpack throughout the zone. We suspect most avalanche activity will be confined to the new snow or to the current snow surface destabilized by rain. As alluded to above, there is a crust down roughly a foot (12/24) where, if we overproduce in rain, there is a slight chance of more dangerous slab releases. Or you could see blocks of snow shed from rocky ledges if the rain keeps up.

No matter how the weather shakes out, if it's not all snow, it won't help our thin snowpack and persistent travel hazards. Open creeks, random holes, rocks, and bushes will only be exacerbated by rain. Freezing rain would obviously create a slick crust that could cause you to slip and fall. Allow yourself extra time to navigate these hazards.

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