Lawinenlagebericht

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

The avalanche danger is MODERATE for WIND SLAB avalanches at mid and upper elevations. The danger is LOW elsewhere. 

Strong winds today will transport any available snow and create new drifts and shallow slabs that could be sensitive to human trigger. 

This problem is most likely to be found on steep slopes at mid and upper elevations near ridgelines, in the sides of gullies, or along convex rolls. Look for smooth lenses of drifted snow, a wind-textured surface, or freshly formed cornices, as these are clues that you have found a wind-loaded slope.

If you can hide from the wind, you'll find soft turns free from trouble on low-angle, protected slopes.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Thanks to everyone who came to our last State of the Snowpack at Palmer Brewing. Please take a few moments to fill out our State of the Snowpack survey from the '25/'26 season here. Feel free to check out the mid-Feb to mid-March recap presentation. 

Don't forget to add HPAC on your Pick Click Give PFD application :) 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

     Watch out for blowing snow, smooth drifts, and shooting cracks, as these are indications that you are close to this problem. 

    Last week, Hatcher Pass picked up an inch or two of new, light-density snow.  Today, northeasterly winds are drifting and transporting recent and older snow into fresh, sensitive slabs. These new slabs will be built over a variety of surfaces; the upper snowpack is a mess of crusts and faceted snow. Expect slabs to be stiff, brittle, and shallow for the most part, although it's possible that a slide could break deeper and wider than you expect.

    The size, sensitivity, and likelihood of triggering an avalanche will increase as winds continue and you gain elevation near ridgelines, on convex rolls, and along the sides of steep gullies. 

    Pole probing, hand pits, and using small test slopes to assess reactivity as you travel are good tests for this problem. The snowpack is thin for March, and even a small avalanche could result in a rocky ride. If you are traveling in upper elevations, approach loaded slopes with caution - only expose one person at a time and select terrain with clean and open run outs. 

    Soft, wind-protected turns can be found on lower-angle sheltered slopes, in mid and low elevation terrain. If you can hide from the wind on more southerly aspects, you might even feel the warmth of the sun. 

    Extreme gusts overnight on Hatch Peak

     

Avalanche Discussion

Last week saw settled weather, with a skiff of snow over the weekend and trace to 1" snowfall on Wednesday. Our March total snowfall is hovering around just a half-foot. However, clear, cold, and calm conditions have contributed to a loosening of the upper snowpack and the small amount of snow we have. Skiing and riding conditions have been variable but have offered surprising quality, and tracks in the Pass indicate as much. Pay attention to these additional hazards as we shift gears into a windy, warmer Spring transition this weekend: 

  • DRY LOOSE: It's still possible to trigger small, shallow dry loose sluffs on steep slopes at mid and upper elevations. You'll find these in areas with small amounts of recent snowfall over loose, faceted snow in isolated areas. In steep terrain, particularly on northerly aspects, you could sluff loose snow over firm surfaces below. These will not be large, but could knock you off your feet and send you somewhere you do not want to go. Look out for areas in steep terrain where this structure exists and manage your fall line accordingly. 
  • WET LOOSE: In areas sheltered from the wind, more intense sun and temperatures in the teens may make it possible to see some small, shallow, wet loose activity this afternoon or, more likely, later this weekend. With cloudless skies and warmer temperatures, be on the lookout for signs of warming in the snowpack. Even a light, sustained breeze should keep this problem at bay, but with longer days and elevated solar input, do not be surprised if you see some isolated wet loose on southerly aspects in steeper terrain near rocks. 
  • PERSISTENT SLABS: We are tracking several interfaces in the snowpack - small, weak, sugary grains between stiff, firm slabs in the upper snowpack, and the continued large and loose structure near the ground. We have not seen any activity on these layers since 1/31. However, it would not be outside the realm of possibility for a recently formed wind slab to "step down" to a weaker layer in the snowpack in the right spot. We will continue to monitor our poor structure as Spring develops, as these dormant layers could come into play with a fresh load, rapid warming, or extended periods above freezing. 

Finally, as mentioned earlier, we are still experiencing a low-snow year. Be on the lookout for shallowly buried hazards like rocks, shrubs, or mining debris. 

RECENT AVALANCHES: 

Last week, HPAC staff and the public observed several natural dry loose sluffs and shallow pockets of wind slab at upper elevations in steep terrain.  The previous week, an Alaska Avalanche School motorized course triggered and reported a small D1 wind slab avalanche in Upper Willow at 3,800' on a SE aspect. Several other snowmachining parties were able to kick off small, shallow wind slab avalanches on 3/10 (see photo) near Grizzly Pass. Ski tourers on the Bomber observed some isolated sluffs and a shallow wind slab. Since 3/10, we have seen little noteworthy avalanche activity. See all recent observations here. 

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