Avalanche forecast

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Hatcher Pass received 3-6'' of new snow yesterday. Today, strong winds will transport recent snow and increase the avalanche hazard at upper elevations. 

Above 3500', the avalanche danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE  for  WIND SLAB avalanches. PERSISTENT SLAB avalanches remain a concern in upper elevations where the snowpack is weak and shallow.  Elsewhere, the hazard is low.

As the wind ramps up throughout the day, expect drifting snow to create sensitive slabs, which will increase the likelihood of triggering an avalanche.

At mid elevations and on protected slopes, you could trigger small sluffs in very steep terrain, or thicker slides where the wind has built fresh, sensitive drifts. 

Today's travel advice is simple: be heads up for new snow instabilities, especially where the winds have built fresh drifts, and avoid steep slopes, peppered with exposed rocks. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Yesterday, southwest flow brought Hatcher Pass 3-6'' of new snow. A brief period of strong southwest winds accompanied the beginning of the storm, which created fresh drifts on leeward slopes. Today, under clearing skies and falling temperatures, winds will shift to the north and increase throughout the day, transporting the recent snow and creating fresh slabs on a new leeward aspect. 

    As winds ramp up throughout the day, the depth, distribution, and sensitivity of fresh wind slabs will increase, along with the likelihood of triggering a slide. 

    Expect to find the encounter instabilities on mid and upper-elevation slopes, under ridgelines on convex rolls, or on the sides of steep gullies.  Look out for active loading, rounded or pillowy surfaces, hollow-sounding snow, and cracking and collapsing in the upper snowpack. Wind slabs could start out small but increase in depth to 1-2' as wind loading continues. DRY LOOSE

    On steep, wind-sheltered slopes, you may be able to trigger small dry loose slides or "sluffs" within the new snow. These will be small in size, but could catch you by surprise and knock you off your feet in consequential terrain.

    Hatch Peak gusts from the last 24 hrs. 

    Photo: Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow near the ground remains a concern throughout the forecast area.

    Despite several weeks without an avalanche on these layers, snowpit tests continue to yield propagating results, and skiers continue to encounter collapsing. This information points to the reality that it remains possible for a skier or rider to still trigger an avalanche over 3' deep on weak snow near the ground.

    • This problem is most pronounced on steep, open, rocky, upper-elevation slopes where the snowpack remains thin and shallow.
    • Mid-elevation terrain harboring old weak snow on the ground could produce the same problem. Steep gullies are where you'd find it. 
    • Small natural or human-triggered avalanches could accumulate weight and step down into these deeper weak layers, increasing the size and consequence of smaller avalanches. 

    The easiest way to manage this problem is to select terrain with a steepness of less than about 30 degrees. If you do choose to get into avalanche terrain (slopes steeper than 30 degrees), select slopes with a uniformly deep snow pack greater than about 3' deep—although be aware that you could trigger a slide from the edges or the middle of a slope where the snowpack is shallow and variable. 

    (2/4/2026)

    A persistent slab avalanche in Eldorado Bowl from 1/28

    Photo: Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday's snowfall fell on a variety of surfaces, including stiff wind crusts and a fairly widespread rain crust that formed on Sunday, 02/15. Today, fresh slabs of wind-affected snow on these layers will be the biggest problem. As winds increase today, it will become easier to trigger avalanches. Expect slabs to increase in depth, size, and distribution as you climb in elevation and as winds continue throughout the day. At lower elevations and on steep, sheltered slopes, it could be possible to encounter small dry-loose avalanches or sluffs.

Despite several weeks without a larger avalanche failing on weak snow near the ground, snowpack tests continue to yield propagating results, and skiers continue to encounter collapsing in thin snowpack areas, indicating that it remains possible to trigger an avalanche on weak snow near the ground. This problem is most likely to be encountered in upper elevation terrain on open slopes where the snowpack remains thin and rocky. This is a high-consequence, low-probability scenario, where the likelihood is falling, but the results would be catastrophic. While areas of deeper snowpack offer more protection, it could be possible to trigger an avalanche from a thinner area on the slope near the edge of the slab. 

It's just now feeling like ski season at Hatcher Pass, with improved coverage and conditions allowing for greater travel throughout the forecast area. Slopes are gaining snow and starting zones are becoming more connected. As you get out and start to explore, be ready to encounter shallow instabilities in the upper snowpack and be on the lookout for weak snow near the ground that could produce larger avalanches. 

RECENT AVALANCHES: 

No avalanches have been observed or reported since last Friday, 2/13. Thursday, 2/12, a party triggered a D1.5 soft slab on the southwest aspect of Marmot at about 4,300'. On Friday, a skier triggered a similar slide on a similar aspect on Marmot. Last week, forecasters observed several dry, loose avalanches in steep, craggy terrain and small wind slabs on steep, wind-loaded slopes. These were all small D1s that likely ran naturally during a bump in winds on 2/10-11. We have not observed a persistent slab avalanche failing on weak snow near the ground since 1/31. See all recent observations here.

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