Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

You can trigger slab avalanches where the wind drifts the new snow at middle and upper elevations. Expect light new snow accumulation with clearing throughout the day. You may see wet snow and rollerballs on sun-exposed slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Watch for triggering avalanches on the leeward sides of ridges at upper elevations. Watch for signs such as active wind-transported snow, cracks shooting away from your feet, or feeling stiffer snow surfaces. Steer around drifts and stiff pillows of snow on slopes over 35 degrees.

    Since Sunday, Westerly winds have been strong enough to form drifts at upper elevations. Ongoing gusts will be strong enough to keep drifting snow through Tuesday. The snow on sun-exposed slopes may no longer be light enough to transport. 

    (1/19/2024)

    A skier breaks off a chunk of a freshly drifted slab. Skyline areas, ENE, 5,300ft

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

You could find up to 3" of new snow on Tuesday, with clearing skies throughout the day. We expect enough sun to warm the new snow. However, not enough snow will be available for wet avalanches of consequence. Snow moving on sunny slopes will mostly be in the form of rollerballs. On Monday, snow surfaces stayed cool and more firm than moist. On Sunday, observers reported shallow, wet loose avalanches up to size D1.5. Stevens Pass picked up 4-6" of snow, which was warm and moist on all aspects at middle and lower elevations.

Following an extended period of very warm temperatures in mid-March, the upper snowpack has gained strength and is still in the process of freezing. You can still find crowns, piles of debris, and frozen rollerballs on many steep slopes as a result of the March warm-up. On the 22nd, an NWAC forecaster on Skyline Ridge reported a supportable crust in open terrain. The crust was softer and more variable at the lowest elevations and in the trees. As the subsurface crust grows stronger, we have less concern about older, weak layers deep in the snowpack. At this point, an avalanche failing on or just above the early February crust would be very unlikely.

 

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