Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Conditions will change from wet to dry as you ascend in elevation. Since most potential avalanches should be small, pay attention to the consequences of each slope. Even tiny slides can hurt you if they push you off a cliff or into a creek.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Cooling temperatures, modest snowfall, and light winds should limit storm slab development to only a few isolated features. You’re most likely to trigger a slide on very steep slopes, convex rollovers, unsupported terrain, and wind-affected areas. You may see thin, soft slabs that only propagate short distances or even just sluff downhill. 

    These shallow avalanche problems are perfect for using hand pits, uptrack tests, and small slopes to get a feel for the snow as you travel. If you see cracking or produce mini avalanches, expect similar conditions on nearby slopes. 

    In general, these small slides shouldn’t pose much risk. However, terrain traps like cliffs, tree fences, rocks, and creeks can magnify the consequences of any size avalanche.

  • Loose Wet

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

    Be on the lookout for wet loose avalanches near and below the rain-snow line. Where you find new sticky snow on the surface, you may easily trigger piles of rollerballs and very small wet loose slides that only involve the top few inches. These avalanches should be easy to manage unless you’re in cliffy terrain. 

    At slightly lower elevations, you might find older wet snow that you may sink into well past your knees. While it’s harder to get this snow moving, if it does, it will likely carry you wherever it goes. Be very leery of deep wet snow along steep creek banks and above open holes in the snow. 

    Other wet “shed-style” avalanches could still occur, particularly at lower elevations. Pay attention to what’s above you. Limit any time you spend below rocky faces that still hold blobs of snow. They could fall with little or no warning.

    (3/22/2024)

    This very small wet loose slide only involved the top few inches of snow. Sometimes we call these "push-o-lanches"

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Southerly flow with this storm doesn’t really favor the Pass. Even still, middle and upper elevations could receive several inches of snow Friday night and early Saturday morning. If less precipitation occurs than expected, you could encounter generally safe avalanche conditions. 

We’re at the end of a prolonged warm spell. Hot temperatures last weekend resulted in a modest but widespread wet loose avalanche cycle. You’ll find piles of debris and rollerballs on and below many slopes regardless of aspect and elevation. The hot sunny weather took its toll on the snowpack, particularly at lower elevations and on southerly slopes. Expect open holes, exposed obstacles, patches of bare ground, and flowing creeks. Similarly, forest debris covers the surfaces. It’s starting to look more like late spring than the date on the calendar might suggest. 

Recent avalanche activity at the Pass over the last few days has mostly been small glide avalanches on steep rocky faces. Alpental Patrol reported two more that occurred Thursday night. These slides could continue even as we begin to cool.

Regions covered