Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Pay attention to the slopes above your head and don’t hang out under steep rocky terrain still holding snow. Some of these blobs could fall without warning and would be large enough to ruin your day.

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

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

    With all the water still running through the snowpack and around rocks, you could still see blocks of snow fall from steep rocky slopes. Some of these avalanches may take the form of more classic glide avalanches where the entire snowpack fails on a layer of water over a smooth ground surface. Others may simply be blobs of snow falling of very steep faces. Either way, our response is the same. Keep an eye on the slopes above you and don’t linger underneath any steep rocky terrain still holding snow.

    (1/15/2023) This is the type of terrain where blocks of snow may still fall on you. Don't linger underneath them, Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

While this may not be your classic “moderate” hazard day, it's hard to consider conditions  “generally safe” (Low Danger) when we’re talking about blocks of snow potentially falling down on you. Even though temperatures are cooling and the surface is starting to freeze, it will take a bit longer for all the water to drain and the wet hazard to fully diminish. Avalanches like this have occurred days after the rain event and even once snow returned to the mountains. 

Away from the overhead hazards you should find much safer avalanche conditions. The snow surfaces started to freeze and formed a breakable crust Sunday. While this may create its own travel challenges, it should help limit other avalanche concerns. On Sunday, an NWAC forecaster found about 1/2in (1-2cm) of new snow above 4000ft at the Pass. Even though we’re expecting another inch or two by Monday morning, this shouldn’t be enough to form much in the way of new avalanche problems. You could see a few very small isolated wind drifts on exposed ridges, but they shouldn’t be large enough to pose a danger. 

Probably one of the biggest things you’ll notice as you travel is the wet avalanche debris from late last week (Jan 12-13). As observations have rolled in, we’re starting to get a good picture of the extent of this avalanche cycle. While most of these slides were small, a few larger wet slab avalanches were seen on Lundin and the W Face of Kendall Peak. 

The other thing sure to catch your attention is the variable travel conditions. Expect wet punchy snow, breakable crust, icy surfaces, and frozen debris. Give yourself extra time to navigate these non-avalanche hazards.

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