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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Highlights

Cold temperatures and moderate easterly winds are maintaining the possibility to trigger avalanches. Identify and avoid steep slopes with freshly drifted features, especially if you find shooting cracks or blowing snow. Expect loose avalanches to run easily in steep, wind-sheltered terrain and on slopes that receive sunshine.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Use caution on leeward slopes 35 degrees and steeper. Look for active wind transport of snow, and evidence of recent drifting. If you see cracks shooting through drifted snow, stay off of steeper, consequential slopes. Cornices may be fragile from recent growth and could break under the weight of a person.

    East winds have been drifted slabs since Monday. East winds were strong right at pass level on Wednesday, and we could see another round of easterly winds that move snow on Thursday. East winds often affect specific features more, such as Tye Peak, Lichtenberg Mountain, and the Moonlight area, where the winds become channeled and accelerate near the Highway 2 corridor, and adjacent east-west running drainages. 

    (4/12/2022)

    East and NE winds formed drifts and wind features on a west-facing slope. Moonlight area

    Photo: Matt Primomo

  • Loose Dry

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

    You can trigger two types of loose avalanches- those that involve cold snow on steep shaded slopes, and those that involve snow that warms up on slopes that get direct sunshine. In either case, the advice is similar. Stay alert to changing conditions and slopes well over 35 degrees where the snow slides easily. Use small test slopes to check how the snow is behaving. Use extra caution near slopes with terrain traps like trees, gullies, or rocks. Be aware that large and/or complex terrain features could produce larger and more consequential slides.

    If clouds break, the surface of east-south-west aspects could quickly become warm and weak. Even 10 minutes of sun could be enough to trigger natural loose avalanches. If you see clearing skies and observe snow surface becoming heavy or damp, consider moving to more shaded aspects or slopes less than 35 degrees. Dry loose avalanches in storm snow have been common on a variety of aspects over the past few days. 

    (4/12/2022) A small loose wet avalanche on Lichtenberg Mtn. 4,500ft, SE Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

Expect another round of east winds and some snow showers on Thursday. Another 9" of accumulated snow fell by Wednesday, with moderate to strong east winds that drifted a fair amount of snow.  You can find 2-2.5 feet of recent snow over the most significant crust, buried on April 8th.  Recent snow amounts will vary as you move east and west of the Cascade crest as well as higher in the mountains. 

On Wednesday, observers reported that small wind slabs were easy to trigger. A skier also reported triggering a large loose dry avalanche on a steep, low elevation feature near Grace Lakes. On Tuesday, NWAC forecasters near both Skyline Lake and Lanham creek reported shallow avalanches in the recent snow. Very steep features near rocks and trees on Lichtenberg  Mtn and Jim Hill produced a handful of shallow point releases as the sun briefly warmed the surface snow. A skier triggered a shallow slab avalanche (about 6" deep by 50 feet across) at the top of the Moonlight area on a steep, cross-loaded feature. If you're in the mountains, submit an observation and let us know what you find.

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