Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago.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

Highlights

Warming weather will cause conditions to change throughout the day. Expect avalanches to become easier to trigger as the rain line moves higher and the new snow turns upside down. Since these slides should be generally small, be careful around high consequence slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Wet loose avalanches will be most likely where several inches of new snow has accumulated since Sunday. This snow is already pretty wet and heavy, but as the rain line creeps up the hillside during the day, these slides might become even easier to trigger. If you see new rollerballs, snow shedding from trees, or fresh piles of tear-drop shaped debris, then the problem is rearing up. 

    Even if this problem is likely, without much new snow, these avalanches should stay relatively small. However, they can still carry you over a cliff, through trees, or into a creek. Take a moment to look at the consequences before committing to steeper terrain where the snow is wet and heavy. 

    In a few locations, wet loose slides may entrain additional recent snow over a prominent stout crust. This would be most likely on long, sustained, steep slopes at middle elevations. In this case, the avalanche might grow larger and more dangerous. At lower elevations, there’s probably not enough new snow to create an avalanche of much size. The main issue would be wet, manky snow sluffing from a very steep creek bank into the water below.

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Somewhere up high, the snow probably becomes dry enough to form slabs. As temperatures warm, the snow may become upside down, allowing you to trigger very shallow avalanches on any steep slope. However, these should be small. On the lee sides of ridges, below cliffs, and near exposed features, these slabs could be much thicker and scarier. Watch for drifts, cornices, and rime that point towards firmer pillow-shaped slabs you want to avoid.

    (3/10/2025)

    Example: Quick signs of highlighting local wind patterns in an exposed opening. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

This series of storms feels like a yo-yo, as snowlevels drift up and down the mountainside. They just can’t make up their mind. Snow could accumulate near Pass level overnight and into Monday morning, but sadly, once again, it won’t last. A warming trend will bring rain higher and higher up the mountains until rain reaches near the tops of the higher peaks Monday night.

With this ongoing fluctuation in snow levels, several layers of wet snow are typically interspersed with thin crusts at middle and upper elevations. This pattern goes all the way back to last Wednesday. Since that time, over 3.5” of water has been recorded at the Pass. Up high that could be a few feet of snow. You can often measure this over a prominent and thick crust. However, near pass level, these storms brought almost entirely rain, leaving us with wet, mushy snow. 

Travel conditions continue to be a persistent issue. Wet heavy snow, breakable crusts, icy patches, bare ground, and a laundry list of obstacles need time and patience to navigate safely. 

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