Observation: Hatcher Pass

Location: 4068', Wimp Bowl, Valley of Sin

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

The goal of todays tour was to check out various snow surfaces after a long stretch of high humidity that moistened the snowpack on all aspects (Monday thru mid day Thursday) followed by a much needed single digit stretch of weather yesterday that “dried out” the snowpack and improved conditions. We went up 4068′ to look at Tuesday’s small slabs that were reported in Wimp Bowl and continued up the ridge to peak 4600′. We observed several small to large dry loose sluffs and a few wet loose in the afternoon, no other signs of instability were observed today.

Red Flags
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Observer Comments

No cracking, collapsing, or recent slab avalanches.
We observed numerous natural sluffs and triggered small sluffs in steep northerly terrain.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

4/4-4/5 5" new snow with 0.4" SWE at 3550'.
4/6 3" new snow with 0.2" SWE at 3550'
Calm to light winds today in the single digits from the ESE.
A nice cold, crisp morning started out at 7degF at 4500' at 8am. Steep south aspects felt hot. Temps felt cool enough to layer up on northerlies and during ridge travel thanks to a very light wind.

Snow surface

The top 2-6" of surface snow transformed miraculously in the last 24 hrs from the moist conditions observed earlier in the week. Last nights single digits "faceted out" the surface snow. Crusts can be felt underfoot on steep aspects. Old firm wind slabs from Monday/Tuesdays wind could be felt at ridgetop up to 50 ft below ridges on leeward aspects.

Snowpack

no pertinent info from hand pits and pole tests performed today

Photos & Video
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