Stevens Pass

Friday will bring a slight shift in the weather with light snow developing, though avalanches will remain unlikely. Travel may be challenging on slopes with crusts or shallow snow cover. Look for avalanche danger to increase on Saturday.

On Friday, a weak storm will bring cloudy skies and less than an inch of snow. Overnight temperatures should allow crusts to freeze on southerly aspects, while continuing to weaken surfaces on northerly aspects. By Saturday, there could be enough new snow to soften travel conditions and possibly create some new avalanche concerns. 

On shaded, northerly slopes above 5,500ft, you may find enough recent snow (3" or more) for softer travel. Observers have reported surface hoar and possibly faceted snow on surfaces as of the 12th. A series of sandwiched crusts exists on most slopes and also holds weak snow. These surfaces and upper snowpack layers will be buried on Friday and could become problematic for future avalanches with enough new snow and load. The way this winter is going, we can only hope to be so fortunate.

On Tuesday, an NWAC forecaster reported a couple of very small wet avalanches on Rock Mtn (6,400ft, SE). In Tunnel Creek at 5,500ft, SW, they found 3-4" of recent snow, punctuated by a thin crust. By now, those slopes will likely have another surface crust. At low elevations, you may find thick and breakable crusts on or just under the surface. Over the weekend, forecasters found that travel hazards outweighed avalanche hazards. Open creeks, bare ground, breakable crusts, and frozen chunder in forested areas are all things you might have to contend with to get into the more pleasant conditions above about 5500ft.