Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Expect a dynamic day with dry snow, then wet snow problems; You could stumble into reactive wind slabs on exposed slopes at upper elevations. Loose wet avalanches may be easily triggered on steep slopes that face the sun come mid-afternoon. Travel cautiously, steering around steeper slopes if you find signs of unstable snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    New snow is stacking up quickly on the pass, temperatures are dropping, and winds are blowing. Expect to find small wind slabs on exposed features as you gain elevation. West and northwest winds may primarily drift snow onto easterly aspects near ridgelines. Look for signs of windslab such as stiffer or hollow snow, shooting cracks, and active wind transport. Steer around steeper slopes with cornices or thicker drifts nearby, and be careful of freshly drifted cornices. 

    Example wind slab on Lichtenberg Mountain from a few weeks ago.

    Photo: Ryan Minton

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Even though we're in for cooler temperatures on Thursday, the strong late March sun is likely to win the battle in the end. Expect to find warming snow surfaces by mid-afternoon on slopes that face the sun. The snow is resting over a wet, saturated snowpack and it may warm quickly because of this. Look for rollerballs and moist, sticky snow. Consider avoiding steep areas with increased consequences such as terrain above cliffs, gullies, or complex terrain with large features overhead. 

    Remember to also consider the consequences of other types of wet avalanche problems. Cornices are sagging and may continue to fall as the snowpack is still refreezing. Glide cracks have been observed in the Stevens Pass Mountain Resort backcountry, and may continue to open or even fail unexpectedly. 

    Wet loose avalanches could run below treeline on Thursday.

Avalanche Discussion

Dry snow is making a comeback as I write, and a convergence zone is dumping snow on the pass. 5" has already stacked up as of 5pm, and we could see another 3-6". Winds are already strong enough to drift snow, and should continue to do so through the night.

We're putting a halt on the shed cycle that occurred from March 21-29th...for now. Observers at Stevens Pass on Wednesday noted a small ski triggered wet loose avalanche. A touring party on the Rock Mountain traverse reported hearing and seeing a few large (D2) natural wet loose avalanches from steep, rocky SE facing terrain above Crescent Lake on Tuesday. Glide cracks have opened on Lichtenberg and on Big Chief Ridge. These may continue to open up and could fail without warning. Cooler temperatures may begin to refreeze the upper snowpack on Wednesday, but with incoming snow i'd expect to find weak, wet snow and potentially still punchy or unsupportable conditions in many areas. 

Regions covered