Hatcher Pass

The avalanche danger is LOW at all elevations.

Since receiving up to 12" of snowfall at mid-upper elevations last weekend, we have experienced light to moderate winds and below freezing temperatures.

Triggering an avalanche today is unlikely but not impossible. You may be able to find lingering wind slabs and persistent slabs in isolated, steep and extreme terrain. 

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

Wednesday, January 8th – 6-7:30PMBleeding Heart Brewery 

This season, we are excited to offer monthly “State of the Snowpack” chats with our field team. Join HPAC forecasters to go over updates to the website, submitting public observations and a review of our season’s history.

Whether you have never traveled in the backcountry, are a skier, splitboarder, snowmachiner or simply curious, all are welcome. We will have a Q&A driven by you, the public.

Riding conditions have improved dramatically since the forecast area received 6-12" of snow over the 12/14-12/15 Cold Moon weekend. A brief period of rain at lower elevations and wintry mix plus freezing fog at upper elevations during the storm has left a widespread detectable crust in the forecast area. As of yesterday, this frozen, buried crust has already demonstrated loosening and healing at mid-upper elevations. It is the most intact and apparent at low elevations below 2,500' and on windward aspects at ridgeline.

PERSISTENT SLABS: 

The early-December warm up event contributed to a general healing and strengthening period, but we still have poor structure with moist basal facets and an enduring October rain crust at the bottom of the snowpack. Since last weekend's welcomed snow event, cold and clear conditions have helped loosen the recently buried rain crust. However, this new weak layer is still detectable. While our new snow is generally not behaving as a slab, a skier-triggered persistent slab avalanche was reported on the west side of Eldorado Bowl (Hidden Bow)l on 12/17. This initiated on the thin mid-storm crust and ran down to the frozen October layer just above the ground, indicating that it may still be possible (although unlikely) to find and trigger avalanches on these persistent weak layers up to 3 feet deep.

Several observations submitted 12/18 also highlight via propagation in test pits that while isolated and unlikely to trigger, if you go hunting you might find a small-large (D1-D2) persistent slab. You are most likely to trigger a persistent slab in areas where strong snow over weak snow exists, in isolated and extreme terrain above 3500' where a slab-weak layer (stronger over weaker snow) exists. 

WIND SLABS:

While winds have remained relatively light in most areas, intermittent moderate east southeast gusts all day on 12/17 have created observable wind loading at and just below ridges (see photo below). Most wind loaded features are soft and lacking cohesion and energy and are trending unreactive. You may still be able to find and trigger small wind slabs up to 1 foot deep in isolated areas on leeward aspects (clockwise: W-NW-N) such as tight gullies or steep slopes below cornices. Assess leeward terrain cautiously by doing pole tests, hand shears and be observant of firm, hollow feeling surfaces in the upper snowpack. Watch for any red flags like cracking and collapsing and use safe travel protocol including only exposing one person at a time, having escape routes planned, spotting our partners and using safe zones appropriately.

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RECENT AVALANCHES:

We did not see any natural or human triggered avalanches during the storm cycle, though some small ones were reported just outside of the forecast area in rock-adjacent steep terrain. A small skier triggered persistent slab avalanche was reported on 12/17 (see below) on the west side of Eldorado Bowl (Hidden Bowl/Tsunami Wall).