Snoqualmie Pass

Although overall danger is low, steep, sunlit slopes may still shed small wet loose avalanches, while shaded slopes at higher elevations could harbor a small and stubborn wind-drifted pocket where a human could trigger an avalanche. Be mindful of the consequences of even a small slide in big terrain. Many surfaces are firm and frozen, so consider carrying sharp gear to lessen the risk of a long sliding fall.

NWAC forecasters and snow pros at the Pass on Thursday found firm and frozen surfaces in the morning at all elevations on any slope that saw the sun on Wednesday. AM clouds gave way to some sunshine before rolling back in during the afternoon. Between the clouds and cool temperatures, there was minimal new wet loose activity. Most of the observed wet activity seems to have occurred on Wednesday. Ski or boot crampons were helpful navigating the frozen surfaces, and likely will be again on Friday, depending on your tour plan. On shaded slopes, 1-7" of dry and generally unconsolidated snow, depending on elevation, caps a stout frozen crust. Isolated wind-loaded pockets could be deeper. Any potential avalanches on Friday should only involve new snow above said crust, and thus, they should be small. 

A good overnight freeze, continued seasonal temperatures, and increasing cloud cover in the afternoon should keep wet loose issues at bay tomorrow, but pay attention to the slopes you are on as well as those above you. ENE-ESE slopes could harbor cold and fluffy snow that may see the sun for the first time on Friday. If you see that setup and notice the surface snow becoming wet, shift to a different aspect or a lower-angle slope. On sun-affected slopes, a stout surface crust will need to break down before any avalanche potential takes root. While that may not happen at all, switch to a lower angle or shaded slope if you see rollerballs, pinwheels, or sink in past your boot tops into wet snow.

The recent storm didn't deliver much in terms of new snow, winds haven't been too impressive, and any wind slabs that did form are a few days old, stubborn, and small. If you were to still find an isolated wind slab on Friday, it would probably be above 5000ft on a steep, shaded, confined, and complex slope. This informative observation paints the picture well. Tops of gullies/chutes and below steep ridge lines are prime locations. Look for textured snow and pillow-like drifts to indicate where a potential wind slab might be and consider the consequences of a small slide in exposed terrain. On steep and shaded slopes, some small sluffs are also possible.

Though multiple nights of cold temperatures should help ease the threat of glide avalanches, there are still plenty of glide cracks to be found. If you must cross below a crack, do it quickly, one at a time, and don't linger.  

It may be dust on crust, but the surface snow on shaded aspects is still soft and fun! If you make it into the backcountry, please share with us what you find by submitting an observation HERE or on the Avy app.