Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Precipitation may begin to slow on Thursday, but your chances of triggering a large avalanche are still very likely. Avalanches could happen anywhere new snow has fallen, with even deeper failures in areas of wind-loaded snow. The message is simple: avoid traveling on any steep slopes or through terrain that has steep slopes overhead. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Snoqualmie Pass will have a blend of storm and wind slab problems on Thursday, both having the potential to produce large and deadly avalanches. These avalanches could occur anywhere new snow has fallen. Wednesday brought over a foot of heavier snow layered on low-density snow from earlier in the week, creating an "upside down" snow structure. We expect a natural avalanche cycle to occur in the nighttime hours Wednesday into Thursday. This won't necessarily decrease the avalanche danger for Thursday; this just means, during the day, you may not see as many naturally releasing avalanches, but the odds of you triggering an avalanche are still very likely.

    The winds will continue overnight into Thursday, continuing to build larger wind drifts and slabs on leeward slopes. These slabs could be more reactive and significantly deeper than the storm snow, resulting in even bigger avalanches. If triggered, any of these avalanches could fail multiple feet deep, as low as the 3/8 crust.

    Fortunately, the solution to these problems is very simple. Stick to lower-angle terrain on Thursday and let the snowpack adjust to the new load. If you're headed into the backcountry in search of low-angle fun, spend some time looking at a slope shade map, consider the steep terrain that surrounds your objective, and whether a large avalanche could reach it. 

    (3/11/2026)

    A fresh storm slab crown in the Mushroom Couloir area of the Alpental Valley. This one is small, but large avalanches are very likely.

    Photo: Cumulus Quarry

Avalanche Discussion

Snoqualmie Pass began to pick up snow around 5 pm on Tuesday, and by 5 pm Wednesday, the Pass level picked up 11", and Alpental got 12-18" through the elevation bands. Snow began to turn heavier around midday, where multiple observers reported an "upside-down" snow structure, and even some natural avalanches in the Alpental Valley. The warm-up continued, and the rain line reached nearly 4000' at 4 pm. The wind accompanied the warm-up, and a 94 MPH gust was recorded around the same time.

This winter has been pretty stop-and-go for the Pass, with a lot less go than we'd all like. Right now, the snowpack is undergoing a big shift with feet of snow being added in a short period of time. As much as we all want to go play in it, it's just not the time for the steep stuff. We expect avalanche danger to peak sometime Wednesday night into Thursday, so if you're considering any nighttime winter camping or skiing/riding missions, Wednesday night is a bad night for it. If you're headed out on Thursday, seek out lower-angle terrain and avoid traveling beneath slopes steep enough to produce avalanches.

A cooling trend will take place late Wednesday night, bringing snow levels back below Pass level for Thursday. Precipitation will slow, but the snowfall will continue to stack up.

Regions covered