Snoqualmie Pass
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Sam Clairmont
Issued: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineGenerally safe avalanche conditions prevail in Snoqualmie Pass. Keep your eye out for the usual springtime hazards, such as icy morning surfaces turning mushy in the afternoon, snow shedding off rocks and cliffs, weakened and collapsing cornices, and thin overall snow coverage. If you find yourself sinking deep into wet snow, move off of steep, consequential terrain.
Avalanche Danger
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
6500-5500ft1 - Low
5500-4000ft1 - Low
4000-2500ft1 - Low
Thursday, April 9, 2026
6500-5500ft1 - Low
5500-4000ft1 - Low
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. |
Forecast Discussion
Temperatures cooled overnight into Tuesday, with most stations showing a 5–15°F drop compared to Monday. Moderate to strong winds helped keep snow surfaces firm and supportable through the first half of the day before sun-exposed slopes softened in the afternoon. No new avalanches were reported. Cooler temperatures will continue Tuesday night and begin to warm back up on Wednesday. Sunny weather is expected, with temperatures climbing a notch higher in the afternoon. This is more of a typical springtime weather pattern, with larger 24-hour temperature swings and surfaces stiffening overnight, followed by daytime softening.
With the spring weather comes greater uncertainty regarding surface conditions and warming instabilities. The longer days and higher sun angle can make quick work of turning surfaces soft and mushy. There's still a chance you could trigger an isolated wet loose avalanche during peak daytime temperatures. These slides are most likely to occur on steep, unsupported slopes exposed to the sunshine, especially around heated rocks and cliffs. As the day warms up, keep an eye on the snow underfoot. If you find yourself sinking deep into mushy, wet snow, or you're easily pushing snow downhill, it's probably a good time to switch to lower-angle, or less consequential terrain. In addition, the large cornices around the Pass are beginning to sag and crack. Avoid traveling on top of or beneath them, as even a small collapse could get you hurt.
The upper snowpack currently consists of 12-15 inches of moist to wet snow and melt forms over the thick 3/25 crust. The upper end of the 3/25 crust has begun to soften with the recent warm weather, but the overall crust remains very supportable. There are minimal concerns with the snow below the 3/25 crust.
The cooler weather might be slowing it down, but the overall snow coverage continues to thin by the day. Low and mid-elevation sunny slopes are beginning to show large stretches of dirt and rock. Decent coverage can still be found on north and east aspects, shaded terrain, and in sheltered valley bottoms.
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.