Snoqualmie Pass

A thin early-season snowpack likely poses the greatest hazard you’ll face. If you make it through the gauntlet of exposed obstacles down low, much deeper snow exists higher up the mountains. Avalanche concerns should be limited to very small pockets of wind-drifted snow along the highest ridges and in complex terrain. 

With beautiful weather in store for Saturday, it could be a nice day to explore the mountains. We don’t expect any significant avalanche issues. Instead, it’s the open creeks, downed logs, numerous trees, and barely covered rocks that should have your attention. Give yourself some extra time to navigate these early-season challenges. 

At middle and upper elevations, there’s quite a bit more snow. With that comes a few avalanche issues to keep on your mind. None of them are very scary but don’t turn your brain fully off. If you poke around in the higher peaks or in very steep, rocky terrain, you may find a small wind drifted pocket. These tiny wind slabs shouldn’t pose much risk on their own, but they could take you for a nasty ride if you’re in high-consequence terrain. With warm and sunny weather expected, you could see a few rollerballs or small loose avalanches releasing for rocky faces. Keep in mind what’s above you, especially if you start to see snowballs falling off trees or rocks.  

Even if the snowpack is thin at Pass level, it’s still impressive for the end of November. At most trailheads you’ll find 0-12 inches (0-30cm) of snow. At 4000 ft that increases to around 3 ft (90-100cm). Above 5000 ft, you’ll probably see 4-5 ft (120-150cm). At the moment, we’re still working with very limited information at the Pass. However, what little data we have suggests a well-settled and strong snowpack. 

As we head into Sunday, a big warm-up is on the way. How will that affect the snowpack and avalanche conditions? Hard to say. Stay tuned. 

Uphill travel at a closed ski resort: 1. Follow the ski area’s uphill travel policy. 2. Avalanche mitigation may not have occurred. You should approach the terrain as if it were any other backcountry slope. 3. Numerous other hazards may exist, including electrical lines, snowmaking, heavy machinery, and other motorized traffic. 4. Ski patrol and other ski area staff are not there to respond to emergencies. Travelers should be self-sufficient.