Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago.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

Highlights

After a week of stormy weather, we should have a relatively benign day on Monday at Snoqualmie Pass. Keep on the lookout for wind-loaded areas from this weekend where triggering an avalanche is more likely. If you venture near rocky terrain or convex rollovers, shooting cracks or firm and hollow-feeling snow could indicate you found a potential problem.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind Slabs that formed over the weekend may still be lingering near ridgelines, the base of cliffs, in confined gullies, or on convex features. These slabs were formed by atypical east winds, so they could exist on different features or aspects than you are used to. Look for large “pillow-like” piles of snow, fresh drifts behind objects,  or small freshly built cornices to help you identify where wind-loading has occurred.

    (12/3/2022)

    This skier-triggered slab in the Alpental Valley caught and carried an individual for a short distance on 12/3. No burial or injuries were reported. [Bryant Peak Couloir]

    Photo: Public Observation

Avalanche Discussion

Stormy weather has impacted the Snoqualmie Pass zone for the past week. First, the snow came, and a lot of it. The Pass received over 30” of low-density snow between 11/27 and 12/1. Next came the cold and strong east winds, which easily transported the newly fallen snow into Wind Slabs. Professional and public observations from the weekend indicate multiple Wind Slab avalanches were triggered, and in a few cases, people were caught and carried. Luckily, no one was injured in one of these slides as far as we know. 

On Monday, winds should switch back westerly and the stormy weather should start to ease. That doesn’t mean we’re a full green light. Some slabs may be less than 24 hours old and will still need some time to heal. When choosing terrain, think about the consequences of being caught, even in a small slide. While this week’s stormy weather has helped our snowpack grow, there are still plenty of bushes, stumps, creeks, and open holes. These natural hazards could make what you might consider a somewhat insignificant mid-winter avalanche more costly.

The lower snowpack around the Snoqualmie Pass zone consists of various crusts and mostly rounding grains. There have been reports from adjacent zones of weak snow near these same crusts. The season is still young and we are in the process of collecting information, with many areas of the zone we have not yet visited. It could be conceivable that weak snow does exist in areas we have not yet looked. That said, we have not had a confirmed avalanche on any of these layers, which is an encouraging thought. 

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