Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

For Wednesday, wet avalanches will be the most obvious concern as they could occur naturally with warming temperatures and sun. At upper elevations, you may be able to trigger avalanches in recently drifted slabs of new snow. Watch for dynamic and changing conditions and move to lower-angle slopes if you see recent avalanches and snow that cracks or slides easily.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Watch for loose wet avalanches as the day progresses. Sun and warming temperatures could initiate natural avalanches and prime steep, sun-exposed slopes for triggered avalanches. Monitor the surface snow and look for moist recent snow that slides easily on test slopes. Loose avalanches will generally be small. There's a slight chance for larger and more dangerous wet avalanches in steep, alpine features.

    Cornice falls and glide avalanches will be isolated to unlikely, but if you're in the wrong places, they could be very dangerous. Avoid traveling under large, overhanging cornices,  slopes with open glide cracks, and cliffs holding cornice-like blocks of snow.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    You can trigger avalanches in the recently fallen snow on leeward sides of ridges where fresh wind slabs formed. Strong southwesterly winds transported snow through Tuesday night. Cracking in the snow and recent avalanches are also red-flag signs of the danger. Use small test slopes to see how easily the snow slides before committing to larger slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Be ready for changing surface conditions as you move through the terrain and climb in elevation. 

    (3/21/2025)

    An intentionally triggered wind slab avalanche in the Swath.Chiwaukum Mtns, NE, 6,300ft

    Photo: Public

Avalanche Discussion

Stevens Pass Patrol reported 7" of new snow on Tuesday. They also reported natural avalanche activity over the past week. On Tuesday, natural wet loose avalanches ran in the new snow on steep mid-elevation slopes on a variety of aspects. Two large cornices fell on the nights of the 5th and 6th. Also on the 6th, a couple of small, wet loose avalanches ran naturally on northeast aspects of Cowboy Mountain. On Friday, an NWAC forecaster traveled on sun-exposed slopes in the Skyline Lake area. Temperatures were hot and the sun was quickly melting snow surfaces. Steep, southeast slopes below 5,000ft softened by mid-morning and were weak enough to trigger rollerballs by 12p. Some isolated areas near rocks were beginning to get unsupportive for boots. 

The recent spring weather has been back-and-forth between relatively warm storms and periods of warming temperatures and sun. The upper 1/3rd to half of the snowpack has transitioned to melt forms. However, snow under the surface may be only partially frozen. On warmer, sunnier days, it's a good idea to monitor how frozen and thick these upper crusts are.

Forecaster confidence is dropping as observations are getting sparse. You can help contribute to the forecast by submitting observations and letting us know what you see in the mountains.

Regions covered