Stevens Pass

Cold overnight temperatures and lack of precipitation have helped limit avalanche concerns. While challenging travel might be the most likely hazard to encounter, watch for isolated chunks of snow that could shed from steep overhead rocks as the sun warms the slopes.

Monday will be a bit of a transition day as another storm system takes aim at the Washington Cascades. Cold temperatures overnight will likely give our snowpack another deep freeze, limiting avalanche hazard, but increasing travel concerns. So if you're headed out in the early morning, make sure to bring appropriate equipment to prevent long sliding falls. Clouds moving in during the afternoon should also help limit warming on steep sunny slopes. But it's late March, so the sun doesn't take long to soften surfaces. While there isn't much snow left to shed, as the rocks and cornices heat up, it's good practice not to linger for long under these potential hazards. 

This prolonged atmospheric river event brought about 5 inches of rain to Stevens Pass.  Schimdt House weather station recorded a loss of roughly 3 feet of total snow, over 40% of the depth reached last weekend. An NWAC Forecaster traveling on the pass on Friday and Saturday observed numerous natural wet loose and large wet slab avalanches, some of which are suspected to have released within the last 24-48 hours. Observations from Stevens Pass on Sunday reported a good overnight refreeze of snow surfaces. Water has drained from the snowpack, and there are multiple new crusts in the mid-pack from where water had previously pooled. 

Expect a drastically altered mountain environment from a week ago, with open lakes, high-flowing creeks, and icy surfaces. Plan for longer approaches and increasingly challenging backcountry access.