Avalanche forecast

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche danger is MODERATE above 2500' for PERSISTENT SLAB and WET LOOSE avalanches. The danger is LOW elsewhere. 

Natural loose snow avalanches are possible today in extreme terrain. Avoid lingering under steep slopes as the day warms. A skier or rider could easily trigger small sluffs in extreme terrain where you find more than a few inches of fresh snow. Weak snow below old wind crusts in the upper 1' of the snowpack is exceptionally weak, and while a few inches of new snow may not seem like much, it may be enough to increase your odds of triggering a Persistent Slab avalanche. Signs like snowpack cracking or collapsing are clues that you have found an unstable slope, and it may be time to seek lower-angle terrain. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

Join us in celebrating the end of our forecast season on Saturday, 4/18, 12-3:30 pm in the Independence Mine lot for Gratitude Glizzies (free hot dogs). HPAC is a nonprofit avalanche center, meaning we rely on people like you to do our work, so thank you! More info on our Facebook page. Please consider supporting us reach out Spring Fundraising drive goal. Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts will be matched up to $5k until May 1.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    You may find small pockets of instability at upper elevations where weak snow lingers below old wind crusts. You are most likely to encounter these pockets on northerly slopes in steep and extreme terrain above 35 degrees. The snow below the old wind crusts is exceptionally weak, and while only a few inches of snow won't drastically change the equation, it may be enough to find trouble in more places. The shading above represents where you are most likely to find old wind crusts above facets, but be wary of any slope where you find this setup.

    Skiers on 03/31 found this setup and triggered a slide on the southeast side of Marmot—fortunately, no one was caught, and the skier was able to ski off the slab. On Wednesday, we found this structure near Eldorado Bowl, with isolated collapses and poor stability tests. The takeaway from recent avalanches and poor stability tests is that we are not out of the woods yet for dry snow avalanches.

    The best way to manage this problem is to ski or ride slopes one at a time and be wary of slopes where you find thin, softer slabs of snow connecting to thicker drifts (this is where you could trigger larger slides similar to the slide on Marmot). You can further hedge your bets by digging down into the upper 1' of the snowpack, looking for weak snow below surficial wind drifts and crusts. 

    (4/8/2026) Photo: Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Strong sun today will rapidly warm slopes basking in direct sunlight. Clouds will increase this afternoon, but it will likely not be enough to stave off any warming. Be wary of lingering under steep slopes as the day warms. Craggy, rocky slopes will warm quickly, and new snow will begin to shed from the rocks. Roller balls, and a wetted snow surface are signs that it is time to seek cooler slopes. If you are skiing or riding late in the day and find more than a few inches of wet snow, know your odds of triggering a slide are increasing. Even small wet snow avalanches can have serious consequences as dense, heavy snow travels downhill, gouging into the old snow below. 

Avalanche Discussion

Aside from the persistent slab problem, you may be able to trigger small, loose snow avalanches in extreme terrain. DRY LOOSE: In extreme terrain where you find cold, dry snow, a skier or rider will easily be able to trigger small loose snow avalanches. These slides will be small in size, but could knock you off your feet, carrying you downhill. Skiers yesterday found 2-4" of fresh snow during their approach, which mountain weather stations did not register (Observation). This new snow is likely not bonding well to the old snow surface below, making it easy for a skier or rider to trigger. With near-freezing temperatures expected today, this new snow will likely settle quickly, and you may experience cracking or collapsing within the new snow. This gummy consolidated snow will ride the line between a wet-snow problem and a dry-snow problem. Expect the likelihood of triggering larger sluffs to increase as the day warms, and the snowpack settles into a thin, dense slab. The best way to manage this problem is to ski or ride slopes one at a time and avoid lingering under steep slopes. 

RECENT AVALANCHES:

Hatcher Pass had a small natural avalanche cycle following last week's modest snowfall observed on Wednesday and Thursday. Natural slab avalanches were observed on several northerly aspects at upper elevations, as were sluffs on solar aspects. There appeared to be at least one small skier-triggered sluff on the SE side of Eldorado/Skyscraper. 

Last weekend, forecasters in Purchase Creek observed a few new wet-loose avalanches and some more evidence of recent wind-driven instabilities. All of these were small (D1) in size. The most noteworthy avalanche of the last month was a skier-triggered persistent slab on 3/31 on the SE side of Marmot at around 4,300' at 5:20 pm. This avalanche failed within old wind slabs on facets and propagated across the top of a gully feature, and entrained moist surface snow and loose facets near the ground. This made what would have been a shallow and small hard slab avalanche more consequential as it moved slowly into a terrain trap feature. 

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