Stevens Pass

For Thursday, expect another day of calm, mild weather. There may be just enough sun to soften crusts on southerly aspects, though wet avalanches will be unlikely. You may find challenging travel on slopes with crusts or shallow snow cover. 

Thursday will be mild with partly sunny skies. Overnight temperatures will allow crusts to freeze on southerly aspects, while weakening surfaces on northerly aspects. Clouds will build by mid-morning while still allowing some sun through. If traveling above 6,000ft, it's still a good idea to keep an eye out for surfaces warming enough for wet avalanches on steep southerly aspects and older wind-drifted snow on leeward sides of ridges. We expect that these concerns are now in the past.

On shaded, northerly slopes above 5,500ft, you may find enough recent snow (3" or more) for softer travel. Observers have reported surface hoar, and possibly faceted snow. 

On Tuesday, an NWAC forecaster reported a couple of very small wet avalanches on Rock Mtn (6,400ft, SE). In Tunnel Creek at 5,500ft, SW, they found 3-4" of recent snow, punctuated by a thin crust. By now, those slopes will likely have another surface crust. At low elevations, you may find thick and breakable crusts on or just under the surface.

Over the weekend, forecasters found that travel hazards outweighed avalanche hazards. Open creeks, bare ground, breakable crusts, and frozen chunder in forested areas are all things you might have to contend with to get into the more pleasant conditions above about 5500ft.