Stevens Pass
Backcountry Avalanche Forecast
Author: Josh Hirshberg
Issued: Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 6:39 PM PDT
Expires: Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 6:30 PM PDT
The Bottom Line
The Bottom LineWhile conditions are generally safe, you could encounter small roller balls or loose avalanches running on steep slopes. Consider the consequences of even very small avalanches when traveling in extremely steep terrain. Light snow on Wednesday will increase overnight as winds become westerly.
Avalanche Danger
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
7000-6000ft1 - Low
6000-5000ft1 - Low
5000-3000ft1 - Low
Thursday, April 2, 2026
7000-6000ft2 - Moderate
6000-5000ft2 - Moderate
5000-3000ft1 - 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
Stevens Pass could pick up 1-2" of warm snow on Wednesday with another 6-8" by Thursday. For Wednesday, this won't significantly increase the danger. You may see some small rollerballs and moist surfaces. Expect a sharp increase in avalanche danger on Wednesday night with more consistent snowfall and westerly wind.
On Tuesday, an NWAC forecaster found a variety of conditions. On steep, northerly slopes, there was about 1 foot of soft snow over the stout, 3/25 crust. Some weak, faceted grains could be seen on and just below the surface. Many other slopes had crusts either on the surface or just below it.
Check the bond at the interface between the new and old snow. The new snow will fall on a variety of surfaces. On northerly aspects, weak, faceted layers and recent storm snow could be buried, especially above 5,000ft. The new snow will fall on slick crusts on sun-exposed slopes. At middle and upper elevations, surfaces are wind-textured and drifted. On March 25th, Stevens Pass picked up 1-1.5 ft of snow, accompanied by strong westerly winds. This snow can still be found resting on a stout crust, about 1 foot below the surface.
Prepare for low snow cover, open creeks, and icy surfaces, which create various travel hazards.
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.