Snoqualmie Pass
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Dallas Glass
Issued: Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Sunday, April 5, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineIt shouldn’t take long for the sunshine and warm temperatures to cause the snow surface to become wet and weak. This could happen on different slopes at different times. Once you find wet snow deeper than your ankle, head to shadier or lower angle terrain.
Avalanche Danger
Sunday, April 5, 2026
6500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4000ft2 - Moderate
4000-2500ft1 - Low
Monday, April 6, 2026
6500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4000ft2 - Moderate
4000-2500ft1 - Low
Avalanche Danger ScaleLearn moreGeneral InfoGeneral Information1 - LowLow2 - ModModerate3 - ConsConsiderable4 - HighHigh5 - ExtrExtreme
1 - Low | 2 - Moderate |  3 - Considerable |  4 - High |  5 - Extreme | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Advice | Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern. | Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making essential. | Very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain not recommended. | Extraordinarily dangerous avalanche conditions. Avoid all avalanche terrain. |
| Likelihood of Avalanches | Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely. | Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible. | Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely. | Natural avalanches likely; human-triggered avalanches very likely. | Natural and human-triggered avalanches certain. |
| Avalanche Size and Distribution | Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain. | Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas. | Small avalanches in many areas; or large avalanches in specific areas; or very large avalanches in isolated areas. | Large avalanches in many areas; or very large avalanches in specific areas. | Very large avalanches in many areas. |
Avalanche Problems (1)
Problem #1: Wet Loose
Problem Type
Wet Loose
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
(4/3/2026)
A natural wet loose avalanche near Snow Lake Divide originating in rocky terrain. Be aware of slopes above you at all times.
Photo: Craig Muderlack
First thing in the morning, the surface may be crunchy, and there probably won’t be much avalanche danger. That should change quickly as the surface begins to soften. Once the overnight crust breaks down, game on. Wet avalanches could go from non-existent to easy to trigger.
Pay attention to the snow surface and how it differs by aspect, slope angle, and elevation. When the surface becomes wet and heavy, it’s time to move to a different area. While it may be easy to anticipate these wet loose avalanches, determining how big they’ll get or how far they can run is tricky. They can easily grab you and drag you down the slope over cliffs or into trees.
At this point in the wet loose cycle, we’re mainly worried about human triggered slides. However, a poor overnight refreeze adds a level of uncertainty. Larger natural wet avalanches aren’t fully out of the question. These would be most likely below big rocky faces and could entrain all the snow down to the 3/25 crust. Planning routes that avoid being below these slopes helps remove the risk from these hard to predict avalanches.
Forecast Discussion
The mountains certainly look and feel a lot like spring. We’re expecting another sunny day with high thin clouds and temperatures in the 50s. Don’t forget your shades and sunscreen! While it may feel very spring-like, the upper snowpack is still undergoing its transition. At higher elevations and on more northerly aspects, below the surface crust, a foot or more of colder drier snow can still be found. On Sunday, we’re mainly worried about that snow above the very stout and obvious 3/25 crust. It’s not hard to find. It's the layer that might break your shovel.
This week, several natural and triggered soft slab avalanches were reported at the Pass. Many surprised avalanche professionals with how easily they triggered and widely they propagated. While unlikely, if you’re going to trigger a similar slide, it would likely be on a higher elevation northerly aspect or in a shady couloir where these slabs might linger the longest. These avalanches seem to fail on a layer of larger stellars at the 4/1 interface about 3-6 inches above the 3/25 crust.
There’s not a lot of snow to fall off rocks or cornices to collapse, but heatwaves like this could certainly bring them down. If you see snow hanging in cliffs or looming along ridgelines, don’t linger below.
We haven’t been able to shake the travel hazards this year. Open creeks, random holes, downed logs, and exposed rocks take time and patience to navigate.
This information is provided by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service and describes general backcountry avalanche hazard and conditions.
It does not apply to ski areas and highways where avalanche mitigation is conducted.