Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
4 · High
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Highlights

A strong and windy storm is creating very dangerous avalanche conditions, and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Large, natural avalanches could easily be big enough to bury or kill you. Thursday will be a good day to enjoy the snow at ski areas, in low-angle terrain, and far away from steep, backcountry slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    If you travel in the backcountry, be sure of your ability to avoid avalanche terrain and slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Stay well away from steep leeward slopes where the wind will form deeper drifts and larger, more dangerous avalanches. Seek out lower-angle, wind-sheltered terrain. Watch for cracks shooting through the snow and recent avalanches to indicate the danger.

    Even on sheltered slopes, you could trigger avalanches 2 feet deep in the new and recent snow. Use small features and quick tests to see how easily the snow slides before getting onto slopes that are steep enough to ski or ride down. Adding to this dangerous situation, avalanches could break into older snow layers, just above a crust.

    The crown of a skier triggered an avalanche (D1.5) that broke 1 foot deep and 40ft across on the Rooster Comb, outside Stevens Pass Ski Area. NE, 5,400ft.

    Photo: Adam Butterfield

Avalanche Discussion

An intense and prolonged storm moved into the region on Wednesday and will run at least into Friday. Expect around 2 feet of new snow by Thursday afternoon. Winds will increase throughout the day becoming strong and driving intense blowing snow.

All the weight of the new snow could cause avalanches to break on a recently buried weak layer, about 1 foot below the new/old snow interface and just above a thick series of crusts. Observers on Monday and Tuesday reported triggering avalanches on a storm interface buried on the 22nd.  One avalanche on the Rooster Comb, outside Stevens Pass Ski area, gouged deeper and ran on the Solstice crust. Another avalanche near the summit of Lichtenberg Mountain, propagated around a rock feature. NWAC Forecasters in the Lake Susan Jane and Lake Valhalla reported avalanches in wind-sheltered terrain. They found lingering instabilities in snowpack tests on the 12/22 interface that matched the recent avalanches. While mostly the interface consisnted of stellars (snowflakes) some profiles have revealed small facets.

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