Stevens Pass Webcam – See the Snow at the Ski Resort

The Stevens Pass Webcam looks down from high on the ski area at Stevens Pass, Washington, over the lower runs, a gravel service road that zigzags between rock fields, and the towers and cables of the chairlifts crossing the middle of the frame. Across the valley rises a steep forested slope cut by pale cliffs and bare gullies, with more Cascade ridges fading into the haze behind it. In mid-October the open ground is low brush turned red and brown, and the chairs hang empty. Once winter sets in, the same slopes go white, groomed lines appear and the chairs fill with skiers. Four more resort cameras sit in the player’s tabs: the base area courtyard, the Daisy chair at the ski and snowboard school, the Jupiter chair on the backside, and a snow stake.

About Stevens Pass

Stevens Pass carries US Route 2 over the crest of the Cascade Range at 1,238 meters (4,061 feet). It takes its name from John Frank Stevens, who located the pass in 1890 while surveying a line for the Great Northern Railway, and the railroad built its first grade over the mountains in 1893. Snow made that grade deadly. On March 1, 1910, an avalanche at Wellington, on the west side of the pass, swept two stalled trains into the Tye River valley and killed 96 people, 35 passengers and 61 railroad employees. Trains now run through the Cascade Tunnel, about 360 meters (1,180 feet) below the summit.

Don Adams and Bruce Kehr started the ski area in the winter of 1937-38. Its runs spread over Cowboy Mountain and Big Chief Mountain, from a base at 1,238 meters (4,061 feet) to a summit of 1,782 meters (5,845 feet), a vertical drop of 549 meters (1,800 feet). There are 455 hectares (1,125 acres) of terrain, 37 major runs and 10 chairlifts, and the Jupiter Express and Southern Cross chairs serve Mill Valley, the backside. Vail Resorts bought the resort on August 15, 2018.

The main Skyline view takes in the slopes from above. The Courtyard camera looks over the paved plaza at the base, with its timber clock tower, a giant outdoor chess set, the lodge balcony above the ticket windows and the ski and snowboard school building behind. The Ski and Snowboard School camera sits beside the Daisy chair’s terminal and a pair of snow guns. The Jupiter camera faces a two-level lift hut at the Jupiter chair, and the Snow Stake camera points at a numbered white stake on a measuring board.

Weather and Climate at Stevens Pass

Winter here is long, cold and very snowy. January averages a high of -1.6 C (29 F) and a low of -6.7 C (20 F), and 1991 to 2020 normals from the measuring station at the pass put average snowfall at about 1,198 centimeters (472 inches) a year, with 2,299 millimeters (90.6 inches) of total precipitation. On the Stevens Pass Webcam, a deep winter buries the rock fields and the service road, and a passing storm can cut the view down to the nearest lift tower. The resort runs night skiing in the heart of the season, so the cameras can catch floodlit runs after dark. Spring stays wintry, with an April average high of 5.3 C (42 F) and a low of -1.7 C (29 F).

Summer is short and mild. July averages a high of 19.8 C (68 F) and a low of 7.8 C (46 F), and without its snow cover the ski area shows its brush, boulder fields and dirt service roads. October is the shoulder month, averaging 9.4 C (49 F) by day and 1.2 C (34 F) at night, when the brush on the lower runs turns red. The Snow Stake tab is the one to watch for the first storms of the season.

Things to Do Near Stevens Pass

In winter most visitors come for the lifts on these cameras, from the Daisy chair at the base to the Jupiter Express on the Mill Valley backside. In summer the Pacific Crest Trail crosses US 2 at the pass itself, and the Skyline Lake Trail starts from the large parking area on the north side of the pass, climbing 320 meters (1,050 feet) in a 4 kilometer (2.5 mile) round trip to the lake.

West of the summit, the Iron Goat Trail follows the 1893 Great Northern grade past old tunnels and concrete snowsheds, with interpretive signs on the railroad and the immigrant crews who built it. The full hike is 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) round trip with 213 meters (700 feet) of climbing, and the lower section has almost 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) of wheelchair-accessible trail. The Martin Creek trailhead is off US 2 near milepost 55, and the Wellington trailhead, at the avalanche site, is reached by Tye Road just west of the ski area. Farther down the highway, Deception Falls at milepost 56 has a half-mile (800 meter) interpretive loop with a viewing platform. To the east, US 2 descends toward Leavenworth and its Bavarian-styled downtown.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more mountain views in Washington, try these cameras next.

• Snoqualmie Pass Webcam
• Mission Ridge Ski Area Webcam
• Leavenworth Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Stevens Pass located?

Stevens Pass is in the Cascade Range of Washington, where US Route 2 crosses the mountains at 1,238 meters (4,061 feet). The ski area sits at the summit in King County, with Skykomish down the west side and Leavenworth down the east side.

What can you see on the Stevens Pass Webcam?

The main Skyline view looks down over the lower ski runs, chairlifts and a service road to a forested, cliff-streaked slope across the valley. The tabs add the base area courtyard and clock tower, the Daisy chair at the ski and snowboard school, a lift hut at the Jupiter chair and the snow stake.

Does the Stevens Pass webcam show the road or the WSDOT cameras?

No. These five cameras belong to the ski resort and are aimed at its slopes, lifts and base area, not at US 2. For the highway itself, check the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Stevens Pass mountain pass page.

How much snow does Stevens Pass get?

Normals for 1991 to 2020 put average snowfall at about 1,198 centimeters (472 inches) a year at the pass. To judge a fresh storm, open the Snow Stake tab and read the numbered stake against the new snow on the board.

What is the weather like at Stevens Pass?

Cold and snowy in winter, mild in summer. January averages -1.6 C (29 F) by day and -6.7 C (20 F) at night, while July averages 19.8 C (68 F) and 7.8 C (46 F).

Is there night skiing at Stevens Pass?

Yes. Stevens Pass runs night skiing in the heart of the season, so on winter evenings the lit runs can show up on the cameras after sunset. Hours change by season, so check with the resort first.

Who owns Stevens Pass ski resort?

Vail Resorts has owned Stevens Pass since August 15, 2018, the latest owner of a ski area that opened in the winter of 1937-38.

Source: Stevens Pass