Lawinenlagebericht

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Thu
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE above 3,500' and MODERATE above 2,500' for WIND SLAB avalanches. The danger is MODERATE for PERSISTENT SLAB avalanches above 3,500'.

Expect to be able to trigger reactive, new slabs of wind-drifted snow 1-2' deep below ridgetops and in steep gully features today. While less likely, it still may be possible to trigger an avalanche deeper in the snowpack at upper elevations in steep, northerly terrain where slabs sit over weak, sugary snow. 

To manage heightened avalanche conditions, avoid steep, convex start zones, and travel one at a time on suspect slopes. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Winter is here! Come and celebrate with us at the 8th Annual HPAC Cabin Fever Reliever on Saturday, February 7th! More info and tickets in the pinned post and on our website at hpavalanche.org.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    Yesterday, strong Southeasterly winds blew sustained at 25mph + with gusts upwards of 50 starting in the afternoon and blew until 2am. With our 8-10" of recent storm snow, there was plenty of snow available for transport. Freshly formed wind slabs are likely to be poorly bonded with slick, frozen crusts leftover from last week's warming phase.

    You are most likely to trigger wind slab avalanches up to 1-2' deep on leeward slopes below ridgelines and in crossloaded gullies. 

    Be on the lookout for smooth, firm, and hollow-sounding snow surfaces. Shooting cracks and collapsing are signs you have found yourself on unstable snow. Pole probing and hand pits are good tests for this problem as you travel. 

    (Hatch Peak) Southeasterly winds built throughout the afternoon into the evening last night, transporting new storm snow. 

    Photo: Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–2

    While trending unlikely, it may be possible to find a pocket of weak, unstable snow in upper elevations on northerly aspects where slabs still sit over weak sugary snow. Your chances of finding and triggering a persistent slab avalanche up to 3' deep will be highest near shallower, rocky terrain on northerly aspects. 

    We do know that more than a week of warmer weather contributed to healing. However, over the last weekend, we saw limited slope testing in steep and exposed terrain, coupled with continued propagation in snowpit stability tests. This has left some lingering uncertainty about the lifespan of our last persistent slab problem. Basal facets and depth hoar showed some signs of rounding in snowpits, but the advanced, angular nature of these grains will make them slower to resolve.  

    With new slabs on these aspects today, consider avoiding steep terrain above 30 degrees adjacent to rocks that could still be harboring this structure. Manage suspect slopes by skiing or uptracking one at a time. 

    (1/24/2026) The bottom of our snowpack is generally weak, and we are still finding propagation in pits, but strength in the mid and upper snowpack is making it harder to trigger slabs over these grains. Photo: AAS Level 2

Avalanche Discussion

The December Drought--the source of weak, sugary snow at the base of our snowpack--just got a welcomed warmup over the January 18th-24th period. A solid and consistent week of warming created a lot of strength in our snowpack that we have observed throughout the forecast area. Our paradigm shift started on Sunday night (1/25), when we received a trace amount of wet, heavy snow, which turned into a proper refresh by late Monday, early Tuesday. In total, we got 8-10" of snow and close to 1" of SWE since 1/25.

DRY LOOSE & STORM SLABS

Because new snow has fallen on relatively widespread melt-freeze crusts from last week's warmup, expect to be able to kick off and entrain new storm snow on slick surfaces. While we are not expecting these sluffs to be large today, you could trigger one in steep and extreme terrain. Even a small, unanticipated sluff could sweep off your feet and head somewhere you do not want to go. 

This last snow event finished and tapered warm (upside down). It may be possible to find cohesive snow at lower and mid elevations where even non-wind affected snow is slabbing up. While unlikely to create large avalanches, a small storm slab could knock you off your feet and into a terrain trap. Low hazard does not mean no hazard. 

RECENT AVALANCHES:

We saw little feedback on the healing trend, and there were no significant avalanches in the week after the tapering of the 1/16-1/17 Atmospheric River storm which resulted in a natural avalanche cycle. Noteworthy slides, such as the 1/18 human-triggered avalanche on Hatch can be read here. 

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