Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

There’s lots of new snow out there! Give it some time to heal by using lower-angled,  sheltered, and planar areas. Higher elevation terrain, wind-loaded features, and steep unsupported slopes could continue to produce large avalanches.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Small natural storm slabs on Saturday and a rather complex upper snowpack full of possible weaklayers continue to give us pause. While the new snow seems inviting, there are still some spots where you could get in trouble. 

    You’re most likely to trigger a slab avalanche at upper elevations, in places the wind drifted the snow into deeper firmer pockets, on convex slopes, in rocky complex terrain, and in areas where some sunshine helps settle the snow into a slab. That still leaves lots of fun places to enjoy. 

    Uptrack and small slope tests can help you see how the uppermost snow layers react to your weight, but they likely won’t give you the full picture. You’ll need to dig with either your shovel or hand to the prominent and stout 12/30 or even deeper to get the entire story. Better yet, seek out sheltered lower consequence terrain.

    (1/6/2024)

    Natural storm slab avalanches in the Alpental Valley. 

    Photo: Rob Coppolillo

Avalanche Discussion

“So, so good!” A++.” Excellent!” These were all phrases used to describe conditions on Saturday. A break in the weather on Sunday should help the snow start to heal, but it could take a bit of time. One big question comes from how the sun will impact the snow. You’ll likely see snow shed from rocks and trees. This could create piles of small rollerballs or even trigger a loose avalanche. It may even cause the new snow to settle into a more problematic slab! However, given the time of year and cooler temperatures, we think most of these impacts will be minimal. 

Storm totals from the Pass range from 10-12in at lower elevations to 15-18in higher in the terrain. Natural and human-triggered storm slabs and loose dry avalanches were reported from a variety of aspects and elevations. Several folks noted a bit of blowing snow and drifting near the ridge crest. The sun also made an unexpected appearance Saturday and combined with warm temperatures (35F) to affect the snow surface at lower elevations. 

The upper snowpack still holds a variety of crusts and weak layers of snow. At the end of the day, any one of these could fail in a slide; correctly naming it isn’t the focus. It would be several feet deep and ugly if an avalanche steps down to the 12/30 or Solsitce (2/22) crust/facet matrix. 

Even with all the new snow, lower elevations still suffer from the same persistent ailment… thin coverage. Creeks, logs, bushes, and small trees continue to pose a challenge. Now, some just hide under an inviting blanket of fresh white snow. 

Regions covered