Stevens Pass

There's little concern for avalanches. Under a recent dusting of snow, most snow surfaces are firm and slick. Sunny skies could soften southerly slopes on Saturday.

Sunny skies on Saturday may soften southerly slopes. You may even see a few small roller balls or very small loose avalanches on steep, sunny slopes. The last couple of days have brought dustings of snow totaling 3 inches or less. Otherwise, snow surfaces are firm and icy.  Travel could be dangerous on steep slopes, especially where you could slide a long way or hit rocks, trees, or cliffs. Make sure you can stop a fall and think about the consequences before traveling on steep slopes. Open creeks and downed trees pose another hazard while traveling through the mountains. Plan your route accordingly.

An impressive storm resulted in an avalanche cycle on January 12th around Stevens Pass and much of the Cascades. In places, you can see still see the evidence of avalanches that ran later in the storm. Earlier this week, I checked out one of these avalanches in the historic Wellington path on Windy Mountain. While the path could produce much larger avalanches, this slide was easily big enough to break mature trees or bury a car. The debris piles were over 12 feet and deeply gouged in places. While the avalanche danger is currently Low, debris from older avalanches is a reminder that avalanches can be dangerous. As always, continue to carry standard avalanche equipment (transceiver, shovel, and probe) and choose terrain that minimizes your exposure to any avalanche hazard.

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state, and federal health officials. Avoid unnecessary risks that could impact first responders and stress medical resources.  Wear a mask when appropriate, practice social distancing, and consider recreating closer to home.