Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Warm and potentially wet weather may not be kind to all our recent snow. Large blocks of snow might fall out of trees or shed from rocks. These snow bombs could be big enough on their own to hurt you or trigger an avalanche. Be mindful of what’s above you as you travel.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    It’s hard to say exactly how all the recent snow will react to warming temperatures and a bit of rain on Sunday. One old adage comes to mind. “When things heat up, snow falls down.” This could take several forms. Everything from a barrage of snow bombs out of trees, to glide style avalanches releasing off rocky slopes, to more classic wet loose avalanches. In general, we don’t expect widespread avalanching or particularly touchy conditions. However, it's a day to be mindful of what’s above you and don’t linger under large rocky faces or snow laden trees. 

    If the snow surface becomes wet and sticky, loose avalanches could follow. Thick heavy snow that produces rollerballs or small point release slides suggests you might trigger an avalanche in similar terrain.

    Two things we have in our favor are the crust on steep sunny slopes and the firmer wind affected snow in exposed locations. Both of these surfaces will help delay the effects of the warm temperatures and rain. Keep tabs on the snow surface conditions; it’s hard to say how long these snow surfaces can fend off the advancing warmth.

    (1/10/2026)

    A natural glide avalanche near Snow Lake. 

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche Fatality: On Friday, January 9th, four backcountry skiers were caught and carried by a large avalanche while descending near Longs Pass in the Teanaway River drainage. The slide occurred on an S to SE facing slope at approximately 6200ft. One member of the party was not buried. Another teammate was partially buried but injured. The other two individuals were fully buried. During the initial rescue, the team located one of the buried victims, who did not survive. Despite the group's best efforts, they could not pinpoint the fourth member of their team. The party contacted 911 via a satellite device, and Kittitas County Search and Rescue responded to the area on Friday evening. Additional rescue efforts were postponed until daylight. Search and Rescue then returned to the site on Saturday and were joined by NWAC forecasters. The teams were able to locate the remaining victim. Unfortunately, neither of the fully buried skiers survived. Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of those involved in this avalanche accident.  S-SE aspect, 6200ft, Avg Depth 2ft, HS-AS-R3-D2.5-O

Discussion: 

In classic Snoqualmie style, this weather forecast is far from certain. Depending on where the main precipitation band aims, the Pass could see significant rain, or barely any at all. Fortunately, your general need for Gore-Tex will be an easy way to monitor which reality you’re living in. If the rain largely misses the Pass, it will still be mild, but we’d expect much less wet avalanche activity. 

At higher elevations and on shaded aspects, the snow remains cold and dry (at least until it rains). If you find cold snow on the surface, be leery of firm pillow-like slabs. While these wind slabs are a few days old, they might still release in rocky, complex terrain. 

While Saturday was pretty quiet avalanche wise around the Pass, there were a few notable observations. Sunny weather made several very large avalanches in the Bryant and Chair Peak areas visible. Even though these slides had snow filling in the crowns and on the debris, they weren’t that old. They seem to emphasize the potential for lingering large, scary, hard slabs in more alpine terrain. Additionally, a few new glide avalanches were recorded near Snow Lake. It's tough to say why there and why now? But, it's a good bet this trend will continue or even accelerate with warmer and wetter weather. 

When looking at the snowpack, we’re mainly concerned with any snow above the Jan 3 crust. Down low, this is a prominent ice lens. Up higher, it may be more ill-defined. 

Regions covered