Snoqualmie Pass
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Sam Clairmont
Issued: Friday, April 17, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
Expires: Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineSpring weather and recent snowfall will heighten avalanche danger on Saturday. As the day warms, wet avalanche activity will take center stage, but unstable wind-loaded snow may still linger in some areas. Keep your plans flexible and be ready to shift to more conservative terrain as conditions deteriorate.
Avalanche Danger
Saturday, April 18, 2026
6500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4000ft2 - Moderate
4000-2500ft2 - Moderate
Sunday, April 19, 2026
6500-5500ft2 - Moderate
5500-4000ft2 - Moderate
4000-2500ft2 - Moderate
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 (2)
Problem #1: Wet Loose
Problem Type
Wet Loose
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
This natural avalanche ran out of the Bryant Peak Couloir area. It ran an impressive distance down the slope towards Source Lake.
Photo: Eddie SchoenWith warmer temperatures overnight and during the day on Saturday, wet avalanches should be your primary focus. Fortunately, the temperatures have generally been on a slow incline since the recent snowfall, keeping the slopes from totally coming apart all at once. That being said, wet loose activity continues to be a problem with the warming. Saturday will be no different.
Expect this problem to develop a little quicker on Saturday, first showing signs on the sunny slopes in the form of roller balls, small point releases, or snow shedding from rocks/cliffs. Most of the activity will probably be focused on W-S-E aspects, but N slopes could also turn quite warm late in the day.
Watch for these indicators, and pay attention to the snow underfoot. If the snow starts to feel wet and sticky, shift to less consequential, lower-angle terrain. Limit your time hanging out beneath rocky terrain or cliffs.
Problem #2: Wind Slab
Problem Type
Wind Slab
Aspect/Elevation
Likelihood
Size
Explosive triggered slab avalanches that failed at the base of the new snow. These slides ran on the 4/14 crust.
Photo: Summit at Snoqualmie: Pro PatrolWith so much recent snowfall and wind, there's still a chance you could find unstable wind-loaded or new snow out there. In general, there have been minimal reports of wind slab activity, but wind-affected surfaces do exist near ridgelines. Furthermore, Alpental Pro Patrol triggered a few slabs with explosives on Thursday, failing below the recent snow, on the 4/14 crust. These slabs are likely becoming harder to find and trigger, but steep, rocky terrain, convexities, and unsupported slopes are the places you may find them.
It's hard to say what it would take for these slabs to fail, but they could be large if they do. Best course of action is to limit your time traveling on suspect terrain.
Forecast Discussion
The last avalanche forecast for the 25-26 season will be for Sunday, April 19th. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through May 3rd. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter!
Temperatures climbed a bit higher on Friday, generally 5-10F above Thursday. A surface crust developed overnight, but broke down quickly with the sunshine. Cloud cover filtered through, helping to limit the overall sun exposure. There have been multiple reported large wet avalanches in the last 36 hours. Natural releases have been spotted off the rocks and cliffs, and even through some rocky chutes. Observations from the Snoqualmie Mountain area on Friday reported light wind affect near the summit, and sunny slopes turning mushy by noon.
Saturday will be a bit warmer, with less of a cool down overnight. Cloud cover will increase, but don't expect any precipitation. As the day warms up, it won't take so long for the snow to turn soft and mushy. Consider any earlier start to the day, when snow surfaces are a bit more supportable, and exit the steep stuff as the day turns late.
As it gets later into the spring, operations are shutting down, and trailheads are getting quieter. This time of year, the weather can change quickly in a single day and even vary between drainages. Combined with fewer observations available, uncertainty is higher. If you’re headed out Saturday, take a thoughtful approach to snow stability, pay attention to the weather and surface snow, and give yourself options if conditions worsen.
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.