Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Flip-flopping winds could create wind slabs on all aspects at upper elevations on Saturday. You could trigger soft wind slabs in exposed higher elevation terrain. Identify and avoid steep slopes with freshly drifted features, especially if you find shooting cracks or blowing snow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Flip-flopping wind directions could build wind slabs on all aspects on Saturday. Look for active wind transport of snow, and evidence of recent drifting. If you find shooting cracks in drifted snow or the snow feels 'slabby' stay off of steeper or convex slopes. Cornices may also be fragile from recent growth and could break under the weight of a person.

    East winds have been the prevailing wind direction since Monday, and another burst could move snow on Saturday morning. Later in the day winds will shift and strengthen from the west. These should become strong enough to create reactive slabs very late in the day. 

    You can still trigger loose dry, and loose wet avalanches on very steep sheltered slopes. Stay alert to changing conditions and slopes well over 35 degrees if dry snow slides easily or becomes heavy. Instability may rise during periods of heavier snowfall, and after an hour or two of direct sun. 

    (4/12/2022)

    East and NE winds formed drifts and wind features on a west-facing slope. Moonlight area

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

Expect another round of east winds and some snow showers on Friday. Observers noted some small surface hoar and near-surface facets on Friday. If you get out, be sure to check the surface before it gets buried by mid-day on Saturday. These weak grains may have stayed preserved on sheltered, north-facing slopes. On Thursday an observer reported ski cutting a small soft avalanche on N facing terrain of Lichtenberg (see observation and photo below). It ran 3/4 the length of the chute. Large wet loose slides and rollers ran naturally off very steep, cliffy terrain in the afternoon with direct sun, and loose dry slides were easily triggered on shaded slopes. You can find 1.5-3 feet of recent snow over the most significant crust, buried on April 8th. Recent snow amounts will vary, due to recent winds and more snow actually fell east of the pass last week.

Earlier in the week observers reported a handful of small wind slabs that were triggered by humans. A skier also reported triggering a large loose dry avalanche on a steep, low elevation feature near Grace Lakes. On Tuesday, NWAC forecasters near both Skyline Lake and Lanham creek reported shallow avalanches in the recent snow. Very steep features near rocks and trees on Lichtenberg  Mtn and Jim Hill produced a handful of shallow point releases as the sun briefly warmed the surface snow. Let us know what you find by submitting an observation if you make it out this weekend, thanks!

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