Snoqualmie Pass

Wednesday should be another benign weather day, resulting in generally safe avalanche conditions. Don't get complacent and let a small sluff or isolated pocket of wind-drifted snow knock you over in consequential terrain. Small storms have helped improve but not eliminate travel hazards. 

Recorded precipitation at the Pass on Tuesday was a little more than anticipated. According to Alpental Pro Patrol and avalanche professionals, it still wasn't enough to create an avalanche problem. Instead, they reported loose snow running on the underlying Early February Crust and marginally improved travel conditions. At this point, we'll count that as a win as we slowly build our snowpack back up after last week's atmospheric river event. On Wednesday, showers could result in another inch or two. Winds should again be light. Be sure not to get tripped up by those small sluffs or a pocket of wind-drifted snow in extreme terrain.  

Since the atmospheric river ended, we have been left with a stout crust and challenging travel conditions. We are not currently concerned about any layers below this Early February crust. However, we are still interested in cataloging avalanches that occurred on deeper layers due to the AR. If you come across large debris piles or crowns, send us a photo and tell us where you found them. 

Besides the minimal new snow, you could encounter punchy wet snow, breakable crust, firm and icy crusts, refrozen avalanche debris, open holes, gushing creeks, and large glide cracks. Give yourself extra time and bring the right tools to manage these hazards. If we get significant sun breaks on Wednesday, add rollerballs and small wet loose activity to the list of hazards to avoid on steep, sun-exposed slopes.