Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center continues avalanche forecasting

HATCHER PASS — The Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center released their second weekend forecast this winter from Allie Barker to alert skiers, snowboarders and snowmachiners about the snow safety in Hatcher Pass on Saturday. Barker observed no new large slab avalanches since Nov. 10 but human triggered small shallow wind slab avalanches are possible.

“It will be possible to human trigger wind slabs, dry loose, and persistent slab avalanches today. Steady easterly winds over the last 24 hours have transported old snow and built fresh wind slabs on westerly aspects at the upper elevations. Expect these to be small in size, but easy to human trigger. This is the primary hazard today. Conditions have been rather stale since the Election Dump. On a positive note, cold temps have recrystallized the snow . Conditions include square powder, sun crust, and wind crusts. The snowpack varies in depth from 6″ to 2.5′,” wrote Barker.

Barker and Jed Workman are the primary forecasters for HPAC, providing avalanche forecasts on Saturdays for those backcountry enthusiasts headed into Hatcher Pass. Barker did not that a small human triggered dry avalanche was observed on Nov. 19 on north facing steep terrain. Barker said that the avalanche problem would persist at all aspects of 40 degrees and steeper.

More information on HPAC can be found at https://hpavalanche.org/