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

With warm air moving into the region, wet avalanche activity may increase. Upper elevations will warm first, and the complex freezing levels make it challenging to anticipate wet avalanches in advance. Be cautious on steep slopes warming up in the sun. Wet, heavy snow surfaces or rollerballs and snow shedding from overhead rocks are signs to move to lower-angle or shady terrain. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    You can trigger wet loose avalanches on steep slopes, or they can release naturally from snow shedding from trees or rocks. You'll likely find this problem on steep southern slopes warming up in the sunshine. With variable freezing levels, cold east-flow, and inversions, it will be challenging to anticipate where this problem will occur in advance. Instead, use key observations, such as pinwheels, trees shedding snow, or moist surface snow. If or when you start to see these signs, move to lower angle or shady terrain. 

    Cooler temperatures at lower elevations and east of the Cascades may make wet avalanches more widespread at mid and upper elevations or on the west slopes of Stevens Pass. Where is is shallow new snow over a crust, these wet avalanches could run farther than expected. 

    (12/27/2025)

    As the day warmed up, new, low density snow was easily easily weakened by the sunshine on Saturday in the East North. Anticipate similar conditions in Steven's on Sunday.

    Photo: Adam Butterfield

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs are becoming more stubborn to triggers, but strong winds at upper elevations are still drifting snow around. Steep slopes below ridgelines, the base of cliffs, and confined rocky terrain features are the most likely places to find and trigger a wind slab. It's these locations that will also take you on the worst ride, even in a small avalanche. Consider lower consequence terrain and lower angle slopes below ridgelines to reduce your risk. Textured surfaces and cornices are good visual clues for wind slab locations. Signs of unstable wind drifted snow, such as recent avalanches or long shooting cracks, indicate you could easily trigger a wind slab on a steep slope. 

    Make frequent observations as you travel, and approach new alpine terrain slowly, focusing on smaller-scale slope features before committing to very steep or complex terrain. 

    (12/28/2025)

    Strong winds along ridgelines in alpine terrain drifting snow on Sunday (12/18)

    Photo: Forrest Simpson

Avalanche Discussion

Inversion temperatures and finicky cloud forecasts make wet avalanches in late December particularly difficult to forecast. Slight surface crusts that may have formed on steep southern slopes on Sunday further complicate the picture. But the signs of wet avalanches typically present themselves early, giving you time to move off those slopes.

On Saturday, observers noted numerous wind and storm slabs. While these are becoming unreactive, there could still be some steep unsupported slopes where you could trigger a slab avalanche, particularly as temperatures warm up. It can be easy to be surprised on a sunny day after a storm cycle when we have very limited information. It will also be hard to temper the excitement of open HWY2 access to the zone from the East. So be diligent about making frequent observations on many small test slopes before you step into new terrain, particularly at upper elevations where we have no direct observations. 

Steven's Pass has more than doubled its snowpack since Christmas Eve. The zone received another 7-17 inches of low density snow on Friday night into Saturday. There are two crusts in the snowpack at middle and lower elevations; one buried on 12/18 that is 2.5-5' deep, and another buried on 12/24 that is 1- 1.5' deep. The newer crust was the bed surface for at least two explosive-triggered avalanches on Saturday. 

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