Snoqualmie Pass

You should find generally safe avalanche conditions at Snoqualmie Pass on Wednesday. Take a look at how much snow has fallen and if it has been affected by wind or sunshine to help determine if there is a hazard. Travel conditions might be difficult and eclipse any avalanche hazard you encounter.

Well, this storm didn’t exactly pan out the way we had expected which led to a bit of an over forecast on Tuesday. The few inches of snow that did fall at mid to upper elevations shouldn’t drive much of an avalanche hazard on Wednesday, but we still have a few things for you to think about as you’re traveling in the mountains.

• Any potential avalanche should be small and be isolated to the snow above the recent atmospheric river crust. Be careful not to get tripped up by one in consequential terrain or near terrain traps.
• That same atmospheric river dropped 9.5” of water and caused a widespread avalanche cycle throughout the zone. Evidence from this event is still easy to spot, with avalanche debris, open creeks, rain runnels, and a variety of natural hazards emerging.
• On slopes that do not see direct sunshine, a couple of inches of snow from last week may have lost strength (faceted) over the weekend. If new snow from Tuesday is overlaying this weaker snow, you could see some touchy conditions.
• Speaking of last weekend, the sunny weather helped to create an aspect-dependent snowpack in many areas of the zone. Slopes that see direct sunshine should have developed a strong melt-freeze crust while those shadier slopes held the cold, dry snow that we just mentioned. 
• As for the snow that fell on Tuesday, if the wind was able to drift it into deeper piles near ridgelines or rocky features, they could be easily triggered. Use visual clues like textured surfaces or smooth pillow-like piles of snow to help you identify these isolated pockets to steer around. In some areas, it could run far and fast as a Dry Loose on a slick underlying crust.
• Additionally, the new snow could get destabilized by the return of sunshine on Wednesday. Again, accumulations were minimal so we don’t expect much in the way of hazard, but you could see some rollerballs and pinwheels on steep sunny slopes. If you are sinking into wet and sticky snow deeper than your ankle, start to think about the potential for small Wet Loose avalanches. 
• At lower elevations, Tuesday’s precipitation came mostly as rain. With cooling temperatures, you could find slick frozen surfaces at these elevations. 

Your biggest challenge could be dealing with difficult travel conditions. We’ve mentioned a lot of them above, including frozen avalanche debris, open creeks, firm icy surfaces, wet and sticky surfaces, or new snow overlaying weak snow or a crust. Be sure to give yourself some extra time and bring the equipment needed to safely navigate these obstacles.