Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Expect tricky freezing levels for Monday, but small wet avalanches will be possible with warm temperatures at mid and upper elevations. Steep south-facing slopes in direct sun are the most prone to wet avalanches. Choose northerly terrain or use clues such as wet, heavy snow, or rollerballs to help you identify problematic slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Most wet avalanches will be confined to steep south aspects, particularly slopes with steep rocks and cliffs still holding snow. But it will take some time for surface crusts formed on Sunday night to break down before avalanches become possible on Monday. Watch for these crusts to break down and snow surfaces to become wet or rollerball activity to indicate an increasing potential for wet avalanche activity. We don't expect this problem to be widespread or the avalanches to be large, but with low snow cover or extreme terrain, it could be enough to ruin your season. You should also watch for chunks of snow sliding off steep rock faces overhead. The temperature profile throughout the zone will be complex, with inversion temperatures keeping colder air in the eastern valley bottoms and warmer temperatures at higher elevations and areas further west. This complex setup means it will be difficult to pinpoint precisely where there will be the highest likelihood of wet loose avalanches. Your best bet to avoid any issues is to use northern or shady slopes for sliding and riding. 

    (3/24/2022)

    Example of wet loose avalanches off the steep steep, cliffy slopes of Rock Mountain.

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

Sunday brought a complex variety of freezing levels to the Stevens Pass area. Upper elevations and the west slopes warmed quickly, while easterly winds kept mid and lower-elevation weather stations below freezing. On Sunday, an NWAC forecaster in the Stevens Pass zone reported that the inversion boundary was notable at 4500ft. We expect this weather pattern to persist on Monday, but the cold air pooled on the east slopes of the pass may be a bit shallower, allowing for mid-elevations to warm more significantly.Observers in the Stevens Pass area reported small natural and ski-triggered wet loose avalanches on steep, sunny slopes. Meanwhile, the north-facing terrain still held cold, dry, weak snow surfaces with surface hoar. Low elevations have minimal snow cover and many hazards, such as creeks, brush, and rocks, to negotiate. Recently, skiers and riders reported isolated small wind slab avalanches throughout the zone. While all of these avalanches have been small, it is important information to consider if you're taking advantage of the high pressure to venture into high-elevation alpine terrain. Depending on the terrain feature where you are traveling, small avalanches could carry high consequences if a fall could take you over cliffs or into rocks. 

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