Snoqualmie Pass

The recent warm and sunny weather has largely diminished avalanche potential. Instead, general mountain hazards and travel conditions have taken center stage as the most likely issues you'll face on Friday. You'll likely find the weakest snow near rocky outcrops or corniced ridgelines.

Thursday was another warm and sunny day at Snoqualmie Pass, with temperatures reaching the 50s, and a few weather stations even reporting up to 60! You can expect the heatwave to continue Thursday night into Friday, before a slight pattern change takes hold heading into Saturday. 

Reported avalanche activity has been minimal since last weekend, when this heat wave began. That doesn't mean that all avalanche potential is dead. You may still be able to push a wet loose on a steep, sun-exposed slope in isolated areas. General mountain hazards that overlap with avalanche danger typically exist throughout the spring meltout. For example, although cornices are generally trimmed back at Snoqualmie Pass, whatever's left could sag and collapse. Or more likely, snow clinging to rocky outcrops or cliffs could fail in the heat of the day. Add in rockfall, and you've got a mixed bag of overhead hazards to manage. Warm spells like this are a good time to make sure you are aware of terrain above you at all times and limit your travel on or below these low-likelihood, but potentially high-consequence, hazards.

In the morning hours, you'll likely encounter a firm snow surface. This will help minimize potential avalanche activity but may create a travel hazard due to long slips and falls. Bring the right equipment to travel safely over firm surfaces, and know how to use it. 

Other travel hazards have been enhanced by the unseasonably warm weather. Open holes and creeks, thin snow bridges, and exposed ground or rocks are commonplace throughout the hills. Maybe these aren't much of a problem if you're walking/hiking, but if you're planning to ride a sled or ski, you'll undoubtedly encounter longer travel times than you're used to.