Snoqualmie Pass

With recent snowfall amounts insufficient for consequential avalanches and minimal wind, you should find generally safe avalanche conditions on Thursday. That doesn't mean hazards don't exist. Be leery of areas of wind-loading or snow sliding on a crust if you're in high-consequence terrain.

Thursday should be very similar to the past few days at Snoqualmie Pass - an inch or two of snow, mostly cloudy skies, possibly a sun break, and minimal avalanche potential. 

However, minimal avalanche potential doesn't mean zero. Avalanche activity, such as solar-induced loose slides and very shallow wind slabs, has been reported this week within the zone. Generally speaking, these slides haven't posed much hazard. But if you're traveling in high-consequence terrain or lingering near a terrain trap, any bit of moving snow could become problematic. 

On shaded aspects, there could be as much as 1.5 feet of low-density snow over the prominent 2/7 crust. Within this snow, the 2/13 interface can often be identified as a thin grey line. This interface consists of weak grains, such as buried surface hoar or near-surface facets. This is the area of the snowpack we have our eye on moving forward. As we incrementally increase the amount of snow over this weak layer, it could reach its tipping point and produce avalanches. That could be achieved through continued snowfall or wind-loading. Time will tell if this layer comes to life or settles into the surrounding snow and begins to heal.

On slopes that typically receive direct sunshine, the amount of snow above the 2/7 crust is much thinner, and you likely won't find the 2/13 interface. Instead, you may find a subtle crust on, or just below, the surface.