Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

You may trigger a small avalanche near the tops of the higher peaks in places where the wind drifted the snow into thicker pockets. Be leery of pillow-like slabs along exposed ridges and convex rollovers. If the sun comes out, expect a barrage of rollerballs and small loose wet slides

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    There’s not a ton of new snow out there, but there’s enough to drift into shallow, small slabs in exposed areas. You’re most likely to encounter a wind-loaded pocket at higher elevations (above 6000ft). Look for clues like textured surfaces, sharp wind lips, and fresh drifts to point toward a potentially loaded slope. These softer wind slabs should be relatively small and easier to manage; just don’t let one knock you over in high-consequence terrain.

    (2/18/2023)

    Example: Visual clues of wind drifted snow you can use to anticipate firmer slabs. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Our cool and unsettled weather continues this weekend. Stevens may pick up a few more inches of snow Saturday night and into Sunday morning. However, a Puget Sound Convergence Zone might complicate the forecast. If it stalls over the zone, more snow could fall than expected, resulting in slightly higher avalanche danger.

The other variable to watch is the sky. It’s springtime, and the weather is dynamic. We’re expecting clouds to generally hang around the zone all day. If the sun starts to poke through, things could warm quickly. Rollerballs will likely rain down as snow sheds from rocks and trees. You could also see small natural wet loose slides. These will be most common on E-S-W aspects near and below cliffs. Similarly, if this occurs, you’re dealing with slightly higher danger. Don’t let one of these avalanches shove you into a creek or through some rocks. 

Over the past few days, Stevens received about 4-8 inches of snow, which accumulated on a firm crust. In general, we’re only concerned about this surface snow. On Friday, a backcountry traveler on Lichtenberg triggered a small loose slide where the new snow seemed to run easily over firm underlying surface. Below this shallowly buried crust, the snowpack is strong, but still transitioning from winter to spring. 

Sunny and warm weather over the past several weeks took its toll on the snowpack, particularly at lower elevations.  Now, you're likely to find thin coverage, exposed obstacles, open holes, and flowing creeks. Additionally, firm surfaces and frozen debris/rollerballs/ tracks/tree bombs frequently make travel trickier than normal. Give yourself extra time to navigate these springtime challenges.

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