Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Keep an eye on the terrain above you for hanging blocks of snow. They could fail without warning and trigger avalanches on the slopes below. Wet avalanche activity will remain a concern until the surface freezes later this week.

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    The height of natural wet avalanche activity has likely come to an end. That doesn’t mean we’re entirely out of the woods. Liquid water is still working through the snowpack, temperatures are unseasonably warm, and not every slope or rocky ledge has shed over the past week. Keep an eye out for sagging cornices, glide cracks, or precariously perched blocks of snow. They could fail without warning, possibly triggering additional slabs or loose avalanches on the slopes below. Give these unpredictable time bombs a wide berth as you travel.

    (1/29/2024)

    Glide cracks in the Red/Kendall Basin. 

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

Monday was a relatively quiet day at Snoqualmie Pass. The rain finally stopped, and temperatures soared at middle to upper elevations. The top of Alpental was in the low 40s while Mount Washington reached the 50s! A weak inversion and some east flow kept the temps in check at lower elevations. Temperatures at the Pass have been above freezing since Friday evening. 

NWAC forecasters made a loop through Commonwealth Basin to look at conditions after our soggy weekend. Widespread natural avalanche activity was observed with slides as large as D3. Liquid water has seeped roughly a foot below the surface with a few deeper percolation channels. A warm but dry snowpack was found below the wet snow, and our earlier layers of concern were still distinguishable. They were unremarkable in snowpack tests. Avalanche professionals in the Alpental Valley reported increasing water percolation as they ascended in elevation. 

Expect a transition day on Tuesday as we prepare for another round of rain on Wednesday. Travel conditions may be difficult due to runneled snow surfaces, open creeks, and unconsolidated wet snow. If you are traveling in the western part of the zone, snow coverage has diminished dramatically over the past week. Bring tools for traveling over bare ground as well as snow.

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