STEVENS PASS, Wash. — The Cascades across the entire length of Washington State are under "high avalanche danger" for at least Wednesday and Thursday.
The warning comes as Stevens Pass Mountain Resort and Crystal Mountain both open for the season Wednesday and skiers and snowboarders flock to the mountains.
The resorts do avalanche work to mitigate any danger, but it’s people who do backcountry skiing or snowmobiling who really need to be cautious.
“Woo! Love the snow!” one skier cheered at Stevens Pass on opening day.
“It snowed almost 24 inches yesterday and we couldn't ask for a better opening day,” said Tom Pettigrew, VP and general manager at Stevens Pass Mountain Resort.
But all that fresh snow -plus more on the way- has the Northwest Avalanche Center warning you of "very dangerous avalanche conditions."
Its website explains a lot of snow, plus strong winds, means there's a weak snowpack. And that new snow isn't bonding well.
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“We have received significant snowfall, strong winds, and have a weak snowpack. This is a recipe for avalanches. It is not the time to travel in areas where avalanches can start, nor linger where they can run or stop,” the site warns.
At Stevens Pass, the crews take precautions. Patrols spent Wednesday morning triggering slides with avalanche bombs so the snow settles and packs more.
“If you think about the snow pack like a layer cake, disturbing those layers helps the snow be more stable and stay on its surface,” Pettigrew said.
>> RELATED: 1 killed, others injured in avalanche near Stampede Pass
Outside the ski resorts boundaries is where the real risk lies.
“In the back country, that's a different animal. People need to really need to understand how to use an avalanche beacon, how to use a probe. And they're really responsible for their own safety,” Pettigrew said.
Last snow season, seven people in Washington State were killed by avalanches.
>> RELATED: Teen snowshoers found dead near Alpental identified
Kristina Adad says she was at Sevens when an avalanche in 2012 killed three skiers nearby.
“It was a really sad day, a lot of people lost their lives,” Adad said. “I'm your advanced skier but I'm not a back country skier and I do that for safety, because I have family and kids and I don't want to run the risk of not being here tomorrow,” she said.
Two friends also at Stevens Pass on opening day said they backcountry ski all the time, but listen to the warnings
“Get educated and listen to the experts and when they tell you avalanche danger is high you don't go,” another skier said.
>> RELATED: 3 avalanche deaths a reminder of backcountry risks
There's also a winter storm warning for NW Washington above 3,000 feet until noon Thursday.
It's expected to dump another foot or so at Stevens and 6 inches at Snoqualmie.
Cox Media Group
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