Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Wednesday might be the wettest day of the week and potentially the most dangerous. Very large and destructive avalanches could occur, running toward valley bottoms. If you're planning on going out in the rain, make travel plans that put a sizable buffer between you and large avalanche paths.

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

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

    We're entering the timeframe when wet avalanches are expected to become more sporadic but potentially much larger. As rain continues to pound Snoqualmie Pass, there might be an uptick in activity as slabs fail down to the 3/12 crust or glide slopes release. 

    You will likely still see some wet loose out there, starting at a point and gaining mass as they move downhill. Regardless of the avalanche character, any slide has the potential to travel long distances and gouge down into last week's storm snow, creating dense, powerful, and difficult to escape avalanches.

    You won't be able to predict when these dangerous slides will occur. Your best bet will be to limit the amount of time you spend below large open slopes, sagging cornices, or rocky ledges with snow clinging to them. This includes being aware of terrain far above you and limiting your exposure to terrain traps.

    (3/8/2026)

    Wet avalanche debris in the Alpental Valley from one of our last rain events. Avalanches should get larger and be capable of running toward valley bottoms as more rain falls.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Wednesday will be our third rainy day in a row with high freezing levels. Our once cold, dry snowpack from last week's storm has become saturated, resulting in multiple rounds of wet avalanches over the last two days. Observations have been extremely limited during this time, but we have mostly heard about wet loose slides at lower elevations or along the highway.

That could change as water percolates deeper into last week's snow toward the 3/12 and 3/8 crusts. Once it reaches these interfaces, there's a chance it will pool and release larger, more dangerous wet slabs. The Summit at Snoqualmie Pro Patrol let us know that glide cracks started to open up on Tuesday, another indication that water is reaching deep into the snowpack and starting to have an effect. We also got reports of fast-moving creeks and runnelled snow surfaces.

With Tuesday night into Wednesday morning expected to be the biggest shot of rain for the duration of this week-long event, it's not a stretch to think that there could be an uptick in deeper, scarier slides. They're nearly impossible to predict with accuracy and are isolated by nature, but if you happen to be around when one occurs, it will likely have devastating consequences. As a precautionary measure, you may want to consider traveling as if it were a high-hazard day by avoiding all avalanche terrain - anywhere an avalanche can start, run, or stop.

Regions covered