Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

While the morning may start a little cloudy, sunshine will help you celebrate the New Year. Unfortunately, this will probably lead to natural wet avalanches from steep sunny slopes. Pay attention to the terrain above you and don’t linger underneath these faces once the sky clears.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    We’re expecting the skies to clear and the sun to come out on New Year's Day. This should result in natural loose wet avalanches. Rollerballs and snow shedding from the trees will be your first clue the snowpack is feeling the effects of the sun. When you see these observations it’s time to seek out more shaded terrain. While you could trigger a loose wet avalanche on sunny slopes over 35 degrees, you’ll also want to pay attention to what’s above your head. Limit any time you spend below hillsides basking in the sun. 

    Given the time of year and lower sun angle, most of the natural loose avalanches should remain smaller. However, if you notice larger avalanches or slides entraining significant snow, conditions may be trending towards dangerous. Put plenty of space between you and large steep sunny slopes. Near and below Pass level a couple of days of rain and wet snow should help reduce the loose wet hazard, but this might not stop slides from descending to lower elevations from above.

    (12/31/2022)

    This natural loose wet avalanche occured as snow shed form rocky complex terrain on Satuday. 

    Photo: Public Observation

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    At higher elevations, a few lingering wind slabs could still exist on Sunday. Just because you’re in the alpine or out of the sun, doesn’t mean you’re out of danger. You may encounter one of these wind-loaded pockets along sharp ridges, below cliffs, or in rock-walled chutes. Indeed a skier triggered one such wind slab in the Guye Peak Couloir Friday. Steer around smooth pillow-like drifts and steep slopes below fresh cornices to avoid this problem.

    (12/30/2022)

    This wind slab avalanche was skier triggered in the Guye Peak Couloir Friday. 

    Photo: Public Observation

Avalanche Discussion

The Pass may pick up a few more inches of snow Saturday night, but it shouldn’t be enough to build any new avalanche concerns. Our attention is primarily on the sky. We expect clouds to hang in the Pass to start New Year’s Day, but drier air and easterly winds should help the skies clear. This will be the first time the new snow has seen significant sunshine. As this happens, expect tree bombs (snow dropping from trees), rollerballs, and small blocks of snow shedding from rocks. 

Stormy weather over the past week limited observations in more alpine terrain. As a result, we feel less confident about conditions at higher elevations. If your trip plan calls for heading to the tops of the higher peaks or into more complex terrain, consider easing into these areas. Use less consequential features to gather information before committing to bigger lines. 

Since winter returned this past week, the Pass has received ~16-24 inches (2.1” S.W.E) of snow at mid and upper elevations. While observations have noted subtle inter-storm layers, the new snow seems to have settled and bonded well to the underlying Christmas Crust.

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