Hatcher Pass

The avalanche danger is LOW throughout all aspects and elevations. 

A few flurries today will lead to better chances for accumulating snow by midweek.

A poem by Basho to celebrate the arrival of spring:

Let's go out.

To see the snow view.

Where we slip and fall.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Mark your calendars for the last Forecaster Chat of the season on Monday, March 17 at 6pm at Eagle River Polaris/Arctic Cat. 

Meteorological winter is over, and February closed out with not even an inch of snow recorded at Independence Mine. During that time the height of snow settled a foot and we saw daily temperatures reach 35° F. Yesterday marked the start of meteorological spring and it sure felt like it, with plenty of folks up at the pass enjoying the warm sunny weather, skiing in t-shirts, sledding, snowmachining, and enjoying tailgate barbeques. Given the alternatives right now, conditions and coverage are pretty darn good. 

This morning will bring some of the best chances for snow we've seen in a month, but we're still only likely to see a few flakes at most. Winds are slightly elevated this morning and look to remain so through mid-day before beginning to diminish. That said, even if we get lucky and an inch or three stacks up, this will do little to increase the avalanche hazard beyond some light drifting at upper elevations and loose sluffing in steep terrain. Midweek looks to be lining up to provide a better chance for accumulating snow. 

Triggering an avalanche continues to be very unlikely, but if you're using this extended spell of settled, dry weather to get into the high country or tackle nearby traverses, be ready to encounter variable conditions, firm snow, and increasing solar effect. 

Wet avalanches - We continue to see increasing sun effect and loose wet activity on steep, solar aspects, especially in rocky terrain. Cloud cover and overnight freezing temps are keeping wet activity at surface level, but be on the lookout for wet and punchy snow on solar aspects. If you find yourself booting up any steep, narrow couloirs, keep an eye on the sunny rocks above should they shed some rollerballs or rocks on your party.

Cornices - Although we have yet to see any evidence of natural release, cornices continue to sag and are generally pretty widespread throughout the forecast area. When the sun is out you can feel spring in the air, and it's only a matter of time until these giants start crumbling apart. Avoid spending significant time below large cornices and give them plenty of space when traveling along ridgelines.

General Caution - Continue to practice good travel protocol and be prepared for small, isolated instabilities in extreme terrain. Should any chance of snowfall accumulate to more than a few inches, be prepared to navigate new snow instabilities and remember most avalanches happen during or within 48hrs of a storm. 

RECENT AVALANCHES:

No recent avalanches have been observed since 1/27.