Stevens Pass

Avalanche danger is generally low, so use normal travel precautions on Wednesday. A skiff of new snow and overnight wind isn't expected increase avalanche danger, although up high you might find new small shallow wind drifts. If more snow falls than we expect, danger may be higher. 

The last day of reported wet avalanches was on Monday, when snow hadn't been frozen in days. Large pieces of cornice fell from steep, exposed rocks and natural large wet avalanches were seen. Snow surfaces finally froze overnight for Tuesday, with one observer noting "you couldn't buy an avalanche today."

Expect even more of a freeze for Wednesday, where your largest concern will be irregular, hard snow surfaces. Small amounts of new snow may at least soften the firm surface. We don't expect enough new snow to cause an avalanche concern, even up high. 

From Feb. 21-25th, the Stevens Pass zone received over 5 inches of water, 1.5 inches of which was snow above 4000ft on Tuesday. There is now about 2 feet of snow over the 2/24 melt-freeze crust. On the 26th, an NWAC forecaster near Stevens Pass observed very large crowns and cornice failures throughout the zone during the late February storm, including one above 6000ft on Rock Mountain and Nason Ridge. There was also reported a widespread wet loose avalanche cycle during the day, with continued wet avalanches for several days after.