Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Warm temperatures and increasing rain and snow will heighten avalanche danger on Wednesday. Watch for red flags such as wind blowing snow, cracking snow underfoot, or rain-on-snow to indicate rising avalanche danger. As the storm intensifies, shift your travel to simple, less consequential terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Gusty winds will ramp up on Wednesday, building small drifts and slabs in the middle and upper elevations. Any freshly formed wind slabs should be on the smaller side due to the limited snowfall. That being said, even small avalanches can still get you hurt. The distribution of wind-blown snow is hard to pin down at this point due to the shifting direction, so you'll have to assess terrain as you move up in elevation. Use fresh cornices, wind lips, and actively blowing wind to identify the direction the snow is depositing. Wind-loaded snow often resides near ridgelines, under cliff bands, and around wind-exposed slopes, but it can also exist between trees, mid-slope,  and on differing aspects of the same terrain.

    As the snowfall increases and the wind picks up, shift your travel toward simpler, wind-sheltered terrain.

    (3/27/2026)

    A wind slab avalanche from earlier in the week. Wind loading often occurs on convex rollovers such as this.

    Photo: Eddie Schoen

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Warming temperatures will bring rain to low and mid elevations. Wet avalanches will be possible as the snowfall turns wet and heavy, and eventually to rain. Fortunately, these avalanches should be small, only entraining the snow sitting on top of the 3/25 crust. That being said, just because they're small doesn't mean they can't have impacts. Even a small avalanche can knock you off your feet and push you into a creek or rocks. If triggered, the burly 3/25 crust may offer an easy sliding surface for these avalanches. 

    Watch for signs of destabilizing surface snow, such as small point release avalanches, sticky wet snow, or rainfall. As the surface snow turns wet and heavy, limit your time traveling on large, steep slopes. Lower elevations will present less hazard because of the minimal recent snow that exists.

    (3/5/2026)

    Wet snow avalanche easily triggered by skis. Similar small slides are possible as the lower elevations turn warm on Wednesday.

     

    Photo: Northwest Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

It was a quiet day across the Pass. Dry weather continued, with high clouds blanketing the region, and limiting the overall sunshine and warm-up. Easterly wind kicked on overnight, blowing light to moderate at ridgeline. No new avalanches were reported.

Precipitation will return Tuesday night into Wednesday, with a gradual increase in intensity. The flow direction of this storm isn't ideal for Snoqualmie, keeping the overall snowfall on the lower end. With the moisture comes warming temperatures, and lower and middle elevations may see some rain on Wednesday afternoon. Regardless, at this point, we will take what we can get!

An NWAC forecaster toured to Great Scott on Tuesday to assess snow surfaces ahead of the incoming storm. Conditions varied widely by aspect, with crusty snow on south and west-facing, sun-exposed slopes and preserved soft snow on shaded, north-facing slopes. In general, 3–5 inches of snow sits on top of the stout 3/25 crust, with as little as 1 inch at lower elevations. Travel down low remains reasonable despite the thin coverage, but it's worth budgeting some extra time for route finding.

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