Snoqualmie Pass

A dusting of new snow and some cold northerly winds won't be enough to increase avalanche potential on Friday. Your biggest hazard remains travel conditions, although any new snow will surely help in that department. Be sure to bring equipment for traveling safely over slick, firm crusts and know how to use it.

Well, it's supposed to snow. So that's good! We need to keep our snow total ahead of Florida for the month of January. Unfortunately, we're talking about a dusting to a few inches, max. Don't expect much change in the potential for avalanches out of this one. We'll have to wait until a bigger storm comes our way. There will be a wind direction change as we switch toward northerly flow, resulting in increasing wind speeds and decreasing temperatures. Don't bank on slopes softening in the sun too much on Friday.

So bring those sharp objects if you're headed out and know how to use them. Travel conditions are still the biggest hazard in the mountains. In open areas, surfaces are generally smooth but can be variable. Dark and shaded slopes contain faceted snow, while sun-exposed aspects are a mix of wind-pressed snow, breakable crusts, and slick, firm crusts. Long, uncontrolled slides are possible in some locations. While these slopes are a challenge, they are passable without too much headache given the right tools, patience, and some prior experience. The real problem may be accessing them. Under tree cover, the surface is much firmer and irregular due to tree bombs, frozen tracks, or ice chunks. Bare boots, possibly with crampons, may be the best tool for navigating these areas. 

In terms of the snowpack - we’re focused on the snow above and around the 1/10 crust. Reports of widespread surface hoar and near-surface facets continue to pour in. On Wednesday, NWAC forecasters in the eastern part of the zone found multiple inches of weak snow above the 1/10 crust, which was weak in its own right. Right now this isn't a problem but that will likely change if a significant winter storm hits our zone. Until then, if you're going to find an avalanche, it will be in a wind pocket on a far-flung high peak or in a dark corner of the zone.