Hatcher Pass

The avalanche danger will remain LOW for the 11th forecast in a row. 

If you can find untracked snow you are doing better than most. 

Normal caution is the name of the game today.

Triggering an avalanche remains very unlikely.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Mark your calenders for the last Forecaster Chat of the season on Monday, March 17 at 6pm at Eagle River Polaris/Arctic Cat. Join us to talk about the snow or lack thereof. 

It's hard to believe it's March. We haven't seen any precipitation in over a month. Conditions are not dire; we have seen better and definitely worse. If it were not for the late January atmospheric river event, we would likely all be mowing lawns, playing golf, and thinking about spring. Fortunately, cool enough weather has kept the snow that has been deposited this season, although finding turns to ski or ride in soft snow is becoming more challenging by the day. It is not uncommon for Hatchers to have a dry spell for a month, and unfortunately seems to becoming more common. We are hoping for a late spring, a deep March, and long days of recreating and enjoying the backcountry.  If you follow the Groundhog, word is he saw his shadow in 2025 which means we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Bring it on!

Triggering an avalanche today will be very unlikely.  We recommend using normal caution if traveling in the mountains. Normal caution means that avalanche conditions lack a well-defined problem. We have not seen any recent avalanches in over a month. Additionally, recent weather has been mild, with very few signs of even small dry or wet loose sluffs this week.  "Normal Caution suggests that backcountry travelers apply standard protocols, such as carrying rescue gear, traveling one at a time through avalanche terrain, and watching for signs of instability. Small loose avalanches in extreme terrain can be expected during normal caution conditions." (avalanche.org)

Wet avalanches may be possible with warming today.  Clouds will predominate the weather pattern today, combined with light wind, keeping snow surfaces cool and frozen at mid and upper elevation.  Expect snow surfaces to soften at low elevation in the afternoon. Expect small, inconsequential wet loose avalanches to be possible to trigger in steep terrain on southerly aspects.  Rollerballs and pinwheels are obvious precursors to wet loose avalanches.

Cornices are another constant hazard. Although we have not seen any release recently, temperatures are warming and spring is around the corner. Cornices often release naturally or fail under the weight of a person. Your best bet is to avoid spending significant time below large cornices and to give them ample space if you are traveling along ridgelines.

RECENT AVALANCHES:

No recent avalanches have been observed since 1/27.