We are 1500 ft here and the only problem with azalea are the deer. Did you mean that you get 3 ft of snow when below gets a foot, or that your total snowfall for the year is 3 ft?
I planted a tiny little azalea last fall and it did survive the winter, and another one I have is 18 years old.
Are you sure the varieties you are buying are hardy to your zone? I always figure my 'zone' by what the coldest winter night can drop to - not what the maps say.

Woodthrush, thank you for replying!
I was talking 3 ft of snow all at once. In the Pacific NW we can usually count on some snow every winter but the amount differs widely. I am sorry to say that I don't know about the hardiness. Did the weekend gardener thing and just assumed it was all good. duh.

I will look for the tags from the purchase. I usually save all those. Then I will look into other considerations such as lighting and exposure. Thank you very much for your help.