Avalanche forecast

Snoqualmie Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche conditions aren’t particularly scary right now. However, warm temperatures higher in the terrain could cause snow to slide off rocky slopes. This isn’t the time to linger below snow covered craggy faces.

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Glide avalanches need a different approach than your standard avalanche problem. We aren’t worried about triggering these slides, and we can’t assess them. The only thing we can do is anticipate where they may occur and then limit our exposure to that terrain. 

    Isolated large natural avalanches could occur on steep rocky slopes or where you see crevasse like glide cracks. Move quickly underneath these slopes. The longer you spend under the hazard, the greater risk you’re taking.

    Overall, one of these shed/glide avalanches will be very unlikely, but not at all surprising. Maybe the natural activity has run its course, or maybe it hasn’t. Either way, the size and consequences of an avalanche aren’t something to overlook.

    (1/17/2026) Photo: Kyle M

Avalanche Discussion

It may be hard to believe it's warm and sunny somewhere above bone-chilling cold and possibly foggy trailhead. But rest assured, it’s not just warm, it’s hot up there. The top of Alpental hasn’t significantly dipped below freezing since January 9th! That’s 11 days and counting above 32F.  Cold temperatures, cool easterly winds, and clouds continue to keep the lower elevations locked up. There shouldn’t be much, if any, avalanche hazard at lower elevations. 

Once you break above the temperature inversion, conditions will likely still feel generally safe, and they are, unless you happen to encounter one of these nasty glide avalanches. These setups are tough to fit into our normal boxes and habits. The last observed glide avalanche was reported on Saturday (1/17). Hopefully, that means this problem has finally gone to bed, but without much change in temperatures and sunshine, it’s hard to confidently conclude anything about this glide issue

Expect firm, sometimes icy, slopes to start the day. Above the fog, southerly slopes should soften in the sunshine. Elsewhere, these slick surfaces should persist. They could even result in long, uncontrolled falls if you aren’t prepared. 

In addition to icy travel, exposed rocks, bare ground, open creeks, random holes, down logs, grabby bushes, inflexible trees…. And the travel hazards list goes on. Expect even simple, common routes to take longer and be more involved than normal, given the thin snow coverage.

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