Hatcher Pass
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The Bottom Line
The avalanche hazard is LOW.
Triggering an avalanche large enough to bury a person will be unlikely.
Small, loose dry sluffs in steep isolated locations are the primary concern.
Special AnnouncementsSave the dates! HPAC is hosting a screening of “The Mountain in My Mind” in at the Bear Tooth Theatre in Anchorage on 3/28 and a Meet The Forecasters chat at Bearpaw Brewing in Wasilla on 4/1. Details on the Events page.
| Fri, March 8th, 2024 |
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| Travel Advice | Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. | Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern. | Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making essential. | Very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain not recommended. | Extraordinarily dangerous avalanche conditions. Avoid all avalanche terrain. |
| Likelihood of Avalanches | Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely. | Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible. | Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely. | Natural avalanches likely; human-triggered avalanches very likely. | Natural and human-triggered avalanches certain. |
| Avalanche Size and Distribution | Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain. | Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas. | Small avalanches in many areas; or large avalanches in specific areas; or very large avalanches in isolated areas. | Large avalanches in many areas; or very large avalanches in specific areas. | Very large avalanches in many areas. |
On Monday 3/4/24 Hatcher Pass received 3-4 inches of new snow with light winds from the southeast. In a few isolated locations, small natural loose dry avalanches were observed in terrain 40° and steeper. These sluffs were most common on south through east aspects where previously firm surfaces existed. None of the avalanches could fully bury a person but they could knock you off your feet and into unintended terrain.
Loose Dry Avalanches on Divide Ridge south aspect at 3500 feet 3/6/2024
Small Sluffs near Martin Mine southeast aspect at 3800 feet 3/6/2024
Sluffs near “Lodge Run” off Marmot 3/6/2024
Loose Dry Avalanches on south aspect of Eldorado at 3900 feet 3/6/2024
Throughout the week of mild temperatures and light winds the snowpack has not changed too dramatically. A short-lived storm produced a few inches of new snow above 3000 feet, which has softened snow surfaces but has not contributed to any significant avalanche problem. Light winds are forecasted through Friday with not much in the way of new precipitation. On Tuesday some minor wind transport from the southeast was observed at ridgeline, making it possible to find thin and isolated yet stubborn wind slabs just below peaks on leeward northwest aspects.
Although the snowpack is stable you may still find a weak structure below older degrading crusts. The most recent crust formed during the warm week of 2/12-2/19 where melting surface snow refroze making a thin and breakable crust. Cold conditions that followed allowed weak faceted grains to form just below that slick surface. Throughout our tours around the forecast zone this week, we found this layer to have inconsistent distribution, minimal strength and low propagation potential. We do not anticipate this layer contributing to instability or human triggered avalanches until we receive another major loading event.
On east through south aspects, lingering wind packed and firm surfaces below storm snow may cause the new snow to easily sluff in steep terrain. The continuity of these firm and buried layers is irregular and disconnected as you travel throughout the terrain.
