Lawinenlagebericht

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE for WET SLAB avalanches above 2500', below that the danger is LOW.

A skier or rider could easily trigger a large avalanche today, and dangerous avalanche conditions exist. You could trigger a slide remotely—from above, below, or to the sides of steep slopes. 

Expect the hazard to increase as the day goes on and the sun heats the snow. Old, weak snow and newer, dry snow have been saturated by wet snow and rain, and the snowpack is unstable and unpredictable. 

At the highest elevations, you may find lingering, sensitive wind drifts. Even a small wind slab will be able to gather wet snow below, becoming a larger, more consequential avalanche. 

You can simplify your decision-making by seeking slopes with a slope angle less than 30 degrees, or by choosing slopes free of terrain traps such as gullies, cliffs, or depressions that could increase the consequences of a slide. 

Special Announcements:

This is our last forecast before we switch to general information products. We have been providing these extra advisories throughout this period of elevated hazard in the interest of public safety. The Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center is a non-agency, non-profit organization, meaning we do not receive financial support from the state or federal government. We will soon need to cease operations for the season. If you value this local public avalanche information, consider a donation this spring. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wet Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–3

    Between April 14th and April 23rd, heavy snowfall accumulated almost 4 feet of snow with a cumulative water weight of over 6''. Rain periodically fell during the storm and finished wet and dense. During this time, winds were strong to extreme out of the southeast and southwest, loading northerly terrain. Our weak, stale snowpack from March was overloaded and soaked with an incredible amount of snow and water, creating dangerous and unstable conditions. Recent snow is wetted and wind loaded, and triggering 1-6' deep unmanageable avalanches on all aspects in mid and upper elevations remains likely. 

    This problem could manifest in several ways, but it will likely behave the same. Drier wind slabs at upper elevations will be thick and heavy, and wet-loose activity is possible at lower elevations or on solar slopes during any period of direct sun. Remote triggering avalanches is possible, and getting caught in any avalanche is likely to be unsurvivable. Persistent weak grains in the snowpack could result in delayed or remotely triggered avalanches. 

    The best way to manage this problem is to stay out of avalanche terrain. Travel will be difficult and visibility limited. Triggering a small slide will be hard to escape, and could entrain an enormous amount of new and old snow. 

    The weak persistent grains that made up the majority of our snowpack are now melting and have free water percolating through them, which means instabilities are not expected to resolve until this water is removed or frozen. Give this new snow some time to adjust, and remember most avalanches happen within 24-48 hours of a storm. 

    WIND SLABS:Strong winds over the last 48 hours built a fresh round of wind slabs in the upper elevation terrain where dry snow still exists. These new wind slabs may be thin, but they may entrain wet snow as they move downhill. Watch for a dry snow surface with signs of wind loading, like a scalloped snow surface or soft dunes of wind-drifted snow. Snowpack cracking or collapsing is a sign that you have found this problem. 

    (4/23/2026)

    Skier-triggered wet slab avalanches were observed in the Mint Bump on Friday where rain had fallen on wind-loaded snow. 

    Photo: Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

This is the time of year when the avalanche problem(s) can defy categorization, and multiple avalanche hazards are at play all at once. Other things to look out for as we continue in this transition period are WET LOOSE and CORNICE avalanches. Newly formed cornices will slowly begin to heat and sag, losing strength as days grow longer and warmer. Be on the lookout for periods of warming without overnight freezes at upper elevations as the Spring continues (see photo of Hatch below).

Recent Avalanches:

Numerous natural avalanches have occurred over the last 48 to 72 hours. On Monday, an avalanche on Archangel Face released and ran right to the edge of the Archangel Trail. An avalanche in Marmot Gully likely released late Wednesday night and covered Fishhook Road in about 20 ft of debris around 150 ft wide. Thursday, forecasters and the DOT observed numerous large-to-very-large natural avalanches in the Valley of Sin and through Independence Mine Bowl, with impressive activity along Skyscraper and Eldorado Bench, and several avalanches reaching the creek. Friday, a party of ski tourers ascended the Mint Knob and entered Delia Creek, potentially triggering several large avalanches on their way along the ridge. Most slides we observed had broken several hundred feet wide, 1 to 4 feet deep, run 1500 to 2000 ft and left debris 6 to 20 ft deep. Yesterday (Saturday), large new slab avalanches were observed on Frostbite, Marmot west, Skyscraper, and on the Willow side in the mechanized zone. See all recent observations here.

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