Avalanche forecast

Stevens Pass

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Sun and warm temperatures will make wet avalanches your main concern. It will be easy to trigger small avalanches on steep, sun-exposed slopes, and some may occur naturally. You can trigger small slab avalanches where the wind has formed drifts of snow just below ridges. Stick to slopes less than 35 degrees where you find moist snow that slides easily or cracks that break through drifted snow. If you find moist or sticky snow on sunny slopes, you may be able to trigger small wet avalanches.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    If you find it drifts over 1 foot deep that break easily or crack, steer pillows and drifts on steep slopes. If you're uncertain, stick to slopes less than 35 degrees or choose wind-sheltered terrain.  Pay attention to differences in snow stiffness as you travel through the mountains to help pinpoint where you can trigger avalanches. Use small, inconsequential test slopes to check how easily the snow slides.

    (2/12/2024)

    A small natural wind slab avalanche ran on a leeward slope below a cornice. This may have occurred on 2/11. Lichtenberg Mtn, 5,600ft, NE

    Photo: Matt Primomo

  • Loose Wet

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

    Pay attention to warming snow surfaces and moist snow on steep, sun-exposed slopes. Move off of southerly slopes before it becomes easy to trigger wet avalanches. You may see natural avalanches release from rocks and trees. Make sure to stay out from under steep rocky terrain once the surface snow has become weak. 

    Skies will be clear most of the day, and the sun will be strong. Most slopes at lower elevations and on southerly slopes will start the day with a crust on the surface. 

    (2/12/2024)

    Small wet loose avalanches occurred on 2/12. One of these was natural and the other was triggered by a skier. Lichtenberg Mtn, 5,200ft, SW

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

On Monday, forecasters went to Lichtenberg Mtn and were able to trigger small wet avalanches in the surface snow, especially on southerly slopes and at low elevations. They found one recent wind slab avalanche on a NE aspect, just below a cornice. 

On Sunday, a skier was caught but uninjured in an avalanche on a very steep slope in the Fleur de Lis run outside of Stevens Pass Resort boundary. Observers on Rock Mtn reported moderate southwest winds transporting snow. Skiers on Jove Peak triggered very shallow avalanches at 5,400ft.

Roughly 8-12” of recent snow sits on the early February crust. Heavy rain at the end of January ago wetted most of the snowpack well into upper-elevation terrain. Low elevations lost significant snow height. Now that the water has drained and the snow has frozen, a stout crust buried in early February is a new baseline from which to measure snow depth. Since the crust was buried, periods of clear sky and cool temperatures have enabled some faceting. In some places, you may find a faceted layer just above the crust.

If you make it out, please share what you found with an observation.

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