Snoqualmie Pass

Avalanche conditions are generally safe, but low danger does not mean no danger. Keep an eye out for an errant wet snow avalanche if the sun is shining or a slab of recently drifted snow in high-elevation terrain. Consider carrying equipment that keeps you from sliding on slick crusts, and take your time as you work your way to and from your objective; lower elevations are riddled with exposed hazards.

The Pass will probably pick up somehwere in the 1-3" range of new snow Friday night into Saturday morning, accompanied by some wind. Freezing levels will drop to trailhead elevations. Prior to this small system, clearer skies will allow for longwave radiational loss to cool the snowpack down and create surface crusts. Saturday should remain cloudy and cold for most of the day, but the sun might start to poke through in the afternoon. All of this sets the zone up for some good stability on Saturday, but there are a few considerations to keep in your back pocket as you travel around.

You could encounter some small slabs of wind drifted snow. Although not particularly dangerous, triggering one could knock you off your feet and take you for a long sliding fall. Pay attention to signs of instability - shooting cracks and collapsing - and the terrain below you to reduce your risk.

Another potential problem with new snow is that if the sun comes out, it will rapidly destabilize it. If you're in the sun and notice rollerballs or wet snow that slides easily on underlying crusts, you should move to lower angle terrain. While wet loose avalanches will generally be small and predictable, they could easily knock you off your feet, just like a small wind slab.

Similarly, crusty conditions mean the chance of simply just slipping and sliding is increased. It might behoove you to carry a "sharp": ski or boot crampons or a whippet are good examples. A long, uncontrolled fall over consequential terrain could end your season earlier than you wanted. An NWAC Forecaster traveling around the nearby East Central zone on Friday found conditions such as these.

Cornice falls and glide avalanches are even less likely, but if you're in the wrong place, they could be very dangerous. Avoid traveling under large, overhanging cornices if they appear to be sagging. Don't enter onto a slope with open glide cracks.

Down low, travel has become more hazardous. The snowpack is thin (or nonexistent) and full of rocks, open creeks, downed logs, and branches. There are also open holes that might not be visible from afar and old avalanche debris that can be hard to travel over. Take care to make your entry and exit into the backcountry slower and more deliberate.

The snowpack is going through a drawn-out and messy transition toward Spring. There’s been free water moving about, lingering wet layers and interfaces, and then spots that remain dry and wintry. In other words, the snowpack is neither fully frozen nor fully transformed into a stable, well-drained spring snowpack. This creates some uncertainty, which can be difficult to manage. Build wider margins of safety into your tour plan for the day, and trust that a completely stabilized snowpack is on its way. 

You can help reduce forecast uncertainty by submitting a public observation here or on the AVY mobile app.