Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You may find the surface feels more like frozen coral reef than fun soft snow to start the day, resulting in minimal avalanche danger. Fortunately, sunshine and warm temperatures will soften the snow. As it does so, small loose slides could become possible on very steep slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    A cold, clear night should help lock up the snow surface. Not surprisingly, there won’t be much of a wet loose issue to start the day. As the surface softens, there will be more and more wet snow to push downhill. One easy way to monitor this is with your boot. When you find wet sticky snow deeper than your ankle, loose slides are possible. Head to a less sun affected aspect. Given the warm weather, only the highest and most shaded slopes may dodge the heat. 

    We think a strong overnight freeze will limit avalanches to just the surface snow. However, this is really tough to predict. If, as the crust fully breaks down, an avalanche may gouge into the wet weak snow below. If you sink deeply into punchy snow, see slabs shedding off rocks, or notice wet loose slides growing larger, the tables have turned. It’s time to dial it back and anticipate more dangerous avalanche conditions.

    (4/5/2025)

    Use your boot to monitor the changing surface conditions as you travel. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

This is the last avalanche forecast for the 24-25 season. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through April 27th. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter

The surface freeze is the critical part of this forecast and the low danger. Right out of the gate in the morning, you could encounter very firm and even icy conditions. The same freeze that’s limiting wet loose slides should keep shed-style avalanche and cornice collapses to a minimum. However, the snowpack at middle and upper elevations continues to work its way through a messy transition from winter to spring. These unlikely but large avalanches can’t be totally ruled out. The farther we go into this round of warm sunny weather, the more likely it will be for snow to fall off rocks or a cornice to collapse. Pay attention to what’s above you and don’t dilly-dally under these overhead hazards. 

If you use this nice weather to head to the tops of the highest peaks or to more far-flung locations in the zone, recognize that less is known about these seldom visited areas. You could encounter small wind loaded pockets, or different avalanche conditions altogether. 

It's definitely spring, and the snowpack is thinning and changing. Open creeks, holes near rocks, bare ground, and tree debris are becoming more and more common. At lower elevations, and southerly slopes away from the Pass proper, the snowpack is painfully thin. You may encounter more obstacles than normal as you start and end your day.

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