Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

New snow and wind will form fresh slabs at middle and upper elevations. You can trigger avalanches just below ridges and in open terrain where the wind forms stiffer snow drifts. If you find actively blowing snow, thick drifted pillows, or cracks shooting through the snow, stick to slopes less than 35 degrees. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Look for clues of the danger like recent avalanches, cracks shooting through the snow, and actively blowing snow. You can also look and feel for stiffer, wind-textured drifts that break or crack easily. Steer around convex roll-overs and slopes over 35 degrees where you find these indicators of the danger.

    Easterly wind and snow will form fresh wind slabs on leeward slopes throughout the day. By Friday evening, slabs could grow to be 8-12" deep, possibly deeper at upper elevations. On many slopes, recently buried interfaces are weak with facets and surface hoar. Snow could slide easily, even in the wind-sheltered terrain. Take time to test the snow on small, inconsequential terrain before moving to larger slopes. 

    (1/1/2025)

    Riders triggered small avalanches, 1.5 feet deep, on a steep convex slope. Moonlight area. ESE, 5,300ft

Avalanche Discussion

You can expect about 4-5" of new snow by Friday afternoon. We don't anticipate low elevation, sheltered terrain to receive enough new snow to be a problem. However, if you find over 6" of snow that slides easily, consider that you are dealing with more dangerous conditions. At 3,000ft you'll find the new snow falling on icy surfaces. The biggest hazards there will likely be traveling near open creeks and holes around boulders. 

On slopes 40 degrees and steeper, you may be able to trigger loose dry avalanches or sluffs. These avalanches will be small and isolated. Be careful to stay out of your sluff and don't trigger it onto your backcountry partners. While loose avalanches are more predictable, they can push you around on steep slopes.

On Thursday, an NWAC Forecaster in the Skyline Lake area found the storm snow from the past week is bonding well. As mentioned above, the surface snow was weakening with small facets and, in some places, surface hoar. Riders in the Moonlight area triggered small avalanches in older wind slabs on a very steep, unsupported convex slope.  On Tuesday, a forecaster went to upper elevations in Lanham Creek and Jim Hill. They found little signs of instability as they traveled and snow stability tests produced stubborn or no results on the weak storm interfaces from earlier this week. There was 7-8 feet of snow at 5500ft. The top 8-10 inches of recent snow is weakening with the cold temperatures, and surface hoar and rime were found on the snow surface. Older wind slabs could be identified under the low-density snow but did not produce any cracking or signs of instability. There were challenging travel conditions below 4200ft, especially under the forest canopy, with just a few inches of snow over firm icy snow. 

If you're in the mountains, let us know what you see by submitting an observation.

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