Stevens Pass

Winter travel may be challenging due to crusty snow and shallow snow cover. Triggering avalanches is unlikely. If you travel above 6,500ft, be ready to make your own asessment of the snowpack as we have little information from upper elevations.

On Friday, it's unlikely that you'll encounter any avalanches, and conditions are generally safe in the bulk of the zone. However, we know little about the snowpack at the highest elevations or in the further-flung parts of the zone, like the Chiwakum Mountains. It's possible that the highest terrain accumulated more dry snow during last weekend's storm and could have conditions different from those we know in the rest of the terrain. If you travel above 6,000ft, make your own assessments of the snowpack. Watch for signs of recently drifted snow or wind slab avalanche conditions. Recently, observers have reported surface hoar forming on a range of slopes.

On Thursday, I checked out the snowpack adjacent to Stevens Pass Ski Area. During the day, 1-2" of snow accumulated, followed by warming temperatures in the late afternoon. Around 5,000ft, there's roughly 3 feet snow on the ground. The entire snowpack was moist or previously wet, with crusts at the surface, down 6", and in the middle of the snowpack.

On Dec 9-10th, two feet of snow fell and was then capped by rain up to at least 6000ft. On Sunday, a widespread cycle of wet avalanches ensued.  Snow surfaces cooled to form the breakable crust that you will now find on the surface.

Stevens Pass Ski Area is now open. Check uphill policies HERE. If you travel in the backcountry, let us know what you saw by submitting an observation HERE.