Snoqualmie Pass

Generally safe avalanche conditions prevail in Snoqualmie Pass. Keep your eye out for the usual springtime hazards, such as icy morning surfaces turning mushy in the afternoon, snow shedding off rocks and cliffs, weakened and collapsing cornices, and thin overall snow coverage. If you find yourself sinking deep into wet snow, move off of steep, consequential terrain.

Temperatures cooled overnight into Tuesday, with most stations showing a 5–15°F drop compared to Monday. Moderate to strong winds helped keep snow surfaces firm and supportable through the first half of the day before sun-exposed slopes softened in the afternoon. No new avalanches were reported. Cooler temperatures will continue Tuesday night and begin to warm back up on Wednesday. Sunny weather is expected, with temperatures climbing a notch higher in the afternoon. This is more of a typical springtime weather pattern, with larger 24-hour temperature swings and surfaces stiffening overnight, followed by daytime softening.

With the spring weather comes greater uncertainty regarding surface conditions and warming instabilities. The longer days and higher sun angle can make quick work of turning surfaces soft and mushy. There's still a chance you could trigger an isolated wet loose avalanche during peak daytime temperatures. These slides are most likely to occur on steep, unsupported slopes exposed to the sunshine, especially around heated rocks and cliffs. As the day warms up, keep an eye on the snow underfoot. If you find yourself sinking deep into mushy, wet snow, or you're easily pushing snow downhill, it's probably a good time to switch to lower-angle, or less consequential terrain. In addition, the large cornices around the Pass are beginning to sag and crack. Avoid traveling on top of or beneath them, as even a small collapse could get you hurt.

The upper snowpack currently consists of 12-15 inches of moist to wet snow and melt forms over the thick 3/25 crust. The upper end of the 3/25 crust has begun to soften with the recent warm weather, but the overall crust remains very supportable. There are minimal concerns with the snow below the 3/25 crust.

The cooler weather might be slowing it down, but the overall snow coverage continues to thin by the day. Low and mid-elevation sunny slopes are beginning to show large stretches of dirt and rock. Decent coverage can still be found on north and east aspects, shaded terrain, and in sheltered valley bottoms.