Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

On Sunday, you could encounter small, wet avalanches on steep southerly slopes. As dramatic warm-up and minimal cloud cover will warm snow surfaces, watch for moist snow surfaces, rollerballs, and wet avalanches as indicators of the danger. Be cautious of hitting obstacles in the shallow, early season snow cover.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Expect wet loose avalanches where rocks and trees could drop snow onto steep slopes below. If you see rollerballs or wet avalanches, move to more shaded terrain or lower-angle slopes. Even though these avalanches will be small, they could push you off your feet on the very steep slopes where they're anticipated.

    With Sunday's warm-up, we're uncertain about the prevalence and elevation of wet loose avalanches. Avalanches will be isolated, at best, at elevations and aspects where the snow surface doesn't warm sufficiently. You can easily manage this by looking for signs of instability: watch for fresh avalanches, rollerballs and moist snow surfaces that slide easily.

    (2/22/2024)

    An example of roller balls on the edge of the Stevens Pass Resort boundary from February 2024.

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

While we expect dramatically warming temperatures in some areas, this is a complex scenario of stratified warm and cold air not mixing as cleanly as usual. You likely will still find cold air pooling in valleys with overlying warmer air. Observers have reported small rollerballs and thin crusts on steep, south aspects. 

No human-triggered avalanches were reported from the Stevens Pass backcountry in the last few days. Observers in the neighboring East Central zone triggered a small wind slab avalanche on Thursday. Lower elevations still harbor obstacles such as exposed or subtly buried stumps, rocks, and creeks. 

On Friday, Stevens Pass Patrol reported light blowing snow at a 5,500ft ridge. While winds have been moderate, there's not a lot of snow available to transport. The Tye Mill weather station recorded west winds with gusts to 24mph. On Thursday, an NWAC Forecaster at Skyline found 3’ of snow over the ground at 5300ft. On Wednesday, an observer touring within the closed ski area found strong winds building slabs up to 6” thick. Test slopes yielded no results.

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