Snoqualmie Pass

The snow and wind will continue on Sunday, maintaining dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains. Be patient and let the storm run its course. Recent avalanches, whumpfing collapses, or shooting cracks in the snow are all red-flag signs of instability that should direct you to terrain under 35 degrees. 

Preliminary Report: On Saturday morning, December 11th, an avalanche fatality occurred in the Silver Basin area of Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. See the forecast discussion below for additional details.

Preliminary Report: On Saturday morning, December 11, a party of six backcountry tourers were traveling uphill in a closed section of the Crystal Mountain Ski Area known as Silver Basin. The party triggered a large avalanche on an N to E facing slope at approximately 6500’. While all members of the party were initially caught, four were partially or fully buried. A nearby party of two witnessed the event and immediately assisted in the rescue. Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol was also notified and responded to the scene. Unfortunately, one of the fully buried victims did not survive. NWAC and Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol will collaborate to conduct an investigation. Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community.

The tragic incident in the neighboring West South zone helps illustrate that although it is early season and snow depths are still building, many slopes have reached the threshold where they can kill you. Snoqualmie Pass has received almost continuous precipitation since 12/8, producing anywhere from 2.5-4 feet of new snow and doubling the depth of our early season snowpack. Several potential weak layers may now exist in the upper snowpack over the Late November Crust, and more snow is on the way. You need to be patient and give the snowpack time to adjust to its new load. The snowpack and season are both still young and there are plenty of unanswered questions about how the snowpack is shaping up. 

What we do know is that a day after a human-triggered avalanche was reported, small natural avalanches were reported in the Snoqualmie Pass zone by multiple professionals as a bump in temperature helped the snow to “slab up” on Saturday. This same bump in temperatures made for some sloppy snow at lower elevations. You could find less of a hazard on Sunday at these elevations as temperatures continue to cool, but don’t get lulled into a false sense of security. We are seeing avalanches in and around our zone and once you get above Saturday’s rain/snow line, you will find that conditions are very different and much more dangerous.

"Uphill travel reminder: Check in with your local ski area this weekend regarding terrain access and parking updates. Closed ski areas often share a similar snowpack and avalanche hazard as the surrounding backcountry. You may also encounter other hazards like active avalanche mitigation, unmarked obstacles, snowmobiles, groomers, and other heavy equipment as ski areas prepare to open. Be prepared to make your own assessments and handle emergency situations.”