Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

Conditions are generally stable but there might still be small lingering wind drifts at upper elevations that you could trigger an avalanche on. Wet avalanche activity is expected to back off thanks to slightly cooler temperatures and more cloud cover on Wednesday. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Small wind slab pockets may exist at upper elevations. In isolated locations, you might be able to trigger an avalanche on one of these stiffer pockets of snow. Any slabs would most likely be found on steep, unsupported slopes.

    Avalanches would likely be small, however, if you're in high consequence terrain the effects of getting caught in an avalanche could be amplified. This would be the case if the slide would bury you deep in a gully, or if you're above a cliff, trees or rocks that could could harm you. South-facing terrain has been impacted by warming the last couple days, so we don't expect slab avalanches to occur there. 

    Example photo: a small human triggered wind slab avalanche. It might not be very high consequence, unless it takes you for a ride over a cliff, through rocks or trees, or buries you deep in a gully. 

Avalanche Discussion

On both Monday and Tuesday, natural and human triggered wet loose avalanches occurred on steep, sunny slopes. A forecaster was out on Monday and encountered wet avalanche activity. You can read the observation HERE.  We suspect wet loose avalanche activity will decrease due to slightly cooler temperatures and more cloud cover on Wednesday. It's not out of the question, however, that some rollerballs or wet loose avalanches may occur. Scan steep slopes above you, and if you notice any wet activity steer around those slopes. 

A storm delivered about 2 inches of water over the weekend. It started out as rain, wetting the old snow and subsequently forming a crust, and then finished as snow. Snow totals varied widely, from one foot in some locations to almost 2 feet in others, sometimes close by. A few shallow slab avalanches were triggered on test slopes, and the ski patrol triggered numerous avalanches up to D1.5 in steep terrain around 5500ft. An observer on Rock Mtn reported seeing an old wind slab and a loose dry avalanche (OBSERVATION). 

Please share what you see in the backcountry by SUBMITTING AN OBSERVATION , so you can help us write better avalanche forecasts. 

 

Regions covered