Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

You can trigger slab avalanches near and above treeline where strong westerly winds recently drifted snow. You may also encounter loose avalanches on steep, sun-exposed slopes. Use caution on slopes steeper than 35 degrees while the recent snow continues to bond.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2

    You can avoid these avalanches by sticking to slopes that are less than 35 degrees and sheltered from the wind or scoured. Steer around obvious pillows and drifts and stay off of slopes with overhanging cornices. Look for wind features, cornices, and thick pillows of snow to indicate which slopes were loaded by the wind in the past couple of days. Use your probe to feel for stiffer, deeper drifted slabs. Since February 3rd, 2.5 feet of snow accumulated near the top of Stevens Pass. In places, drifts could easily be deeper than 3-4 feet deep.

    (2/8/2023)

    The crown of a large natural avalanche that likely ran in the early morning of Feb 8th on a wind-loaded slope outside of Stevens Pass Resort. Upper Mill Creek, NE, 5,400ft

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

  • Loose Wet

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

    If you see rollerballs or moist snow surfaces, consider moving to lower-angled or more shaded terrain. Wet avalanches could come down from steep overhead terrain. Snow surfaces may get wet and sticky in the afternoon with sun and warming temperatures. If the snow becomes moist, start looking for other clues like avalanches on similar slopes

    (1/1/2023)

    An example of wet loose slides that occurred around New Year's. Lichtenberg Mtn, SW.

    Photo: Josh Hirshberg

Avalanche Discussion

For Thursday, expect slightly warming temperatures with clearing by afternoon. Stevens Pass picked up another 2" of water and just under 2 feet of snow in 24 hours as of Wednesday morning. The strong wind and precipitation ended just after dawn.

On Wednesday, observers reported large, natural slab avalanches, to size D2, that likely ran overnight or in the early morning hours. These avalanches were on steep, leeward slopes, just below ridges that saw wind loading including Windy Ridge and the Rooster Comb, above Lake Susan Jane. During the day, riders triggered a smaller slab avalanche on a ridge just outside of the Stevens Pass Resort boundary in Hollywood bowl, SE, 5,200ft. A widespread cycle of avalanches occurred on February 7th. This more recent round of wind slab avalanches extended into the morning of the 8th. A few steep, sunny slopes produced mostly small loose wet avalanches as snow surfaces warmed on Wednesday. I saw a notable large wet avalanche on a southeast aspect of the Bern Camp Chutes, just west of Rock Mountain.

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