Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Wintery weather continues to bring significant snowfall to the Pass. Expect more dangerous conditions the higher you travel, in wind loaded terrain, or where you find more than a foot of new snow over a crust. Be leery of steep open slopes, especially in larger, more complicated, or consequential areas.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    This problem is hard to pin down. The main concern involves the new snow over the most recent crust. As of Friday afternoon, that was only about 3-4 inches. However, more snow is on the way overnight and throughout Saturday. As more snow piles up, the danger could increase. 

    Start by assuming all steep open slopes are suspect. Then use small, low consequence terrain to gather information. Hand pits and small slope tests should give you an idea of how the snow will react. If it's upside down or fails in slabs, then steer around steep open areas. If it sluffs off, expect loose dry slides that could run long distances on the underlying crust. 

    As you move into more wind affected terrain, conditions will change. Anticipate slabs on the lee side of ridges, exposed features, and near the base of cliffs. Small wind lips, textured surfaces, and pillow-like drifts will all point towards the wind loaded slopes you want to avoid.

    (12/19/2025)

    Handpits can help highlight potential failure points in the upper snowpack.

    Photo: Andy Harrington

Avalanche Discussion

It’s good to see snow falling at the Pass. Even with the new snow, access is still quite challenging. We’re starting to hit that point where it's too deep to just hike, but not quite deep enough for snowshoes, sleds, skis, or boards. Expect early season conditions with open creeks and tricky travel. 

As you gain elevation, the snowpack increases, but it’s still thin. On average, limited observations suggest only about 2-3ft of snow at 5500ft. Thursday, a mix of sleet, freezing rain, and rain formed a new slick crust (12/18) all the way to at least 5500ft. This should be an easy to identify snowpack marker below the most recent snow. 

Between the recent stormy weather and difficult access, we don’t have much information about the snowpack at the Pass. Overall, our confidence is quite low. One thing is for sure, though: the weather has been wet, wild, and weird. Consider keeping your plans and terrain simple amongst all the unknowns. 

The weather over the past few weeks has been extraordinary, with torrential rains, extreme winds, flooding, and landslides. Many communities are dealing with damage to homes, infrastructure, and businesses, stretching resources thin. These events have limited access to the mountains for all of us. State and local resources are working diligently to reduce the worst of these impacts. We can help by being respectful of local communities, obeying road closures, and heeding ski area uphill travel policies.

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