Snoqualmie Pass

You might find a bit of wet snow on steep southerly slopes and at lower elevations, but it shouldn’t amount to much in the way of wet avalanche hazards. Instead, variable snow surfaces and plenty of early-season obstacles could make even simple travel routes spicy.

Several weather factors will battle it out on Saturday. High thin clouds, a low sun angle, and moderate winds should help keep frozen surfaces frozen. A the while, warm temperatures will try to soften firm snow. We think the former will win, and most slopes remain on the firmer side or only see minor softening. This should keep any significant wet avalanche concerns in check. 

If you encounter a wet loose avalanche, it would likely be in steep, rocky, sheltered, southerly terrain where warming will be the greatest. If you find wet, sticky snow on the surface, consider the potential for small wet loose slides. With so many obstacles, even a tiny slide could result in a very rough ride.

Upper elevations are the big question mark. You could see areas of soft, dry snow, especially on shaded aspects. Windy weather on Friday and Saturday could have formed a few very isolated wind-loaded pockets along the base of cliffs or in the tops of chutes. If you use the nice weather to explore higher in the terrain, approach it with a little bit of caution. Even though we think it’s Low Danger, very little information exists about the tops of the higher peaks this winter. 

At middle and lower elevations, variable snow surfaces, including icy slopes, breakable crusts, wet punchy snow, and irregular runnels, can make travel challenging. Then there are all the things you can hit or fall into: downed logs, flowing creeks, open holes, exposed rocks, trees/shrubs, etc. Take it slow and give yourself some extra time to deal with all these travel-related challenges.