No red flags or signs of instability observed.
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: $1000 Run, IM North, Microdot/Rae Wallace Bench
Our Level 1 avalanche course scattered around the pass today for snowpack skills. We toured up below Independence Mine, between Rae Wallace and Microdot and up toward $1000 run. With above freezing temperatures all day between 3,000 and 3,500′, we experienced the warming Greenhouse effect of some mild solar input through broken skies; snow surfaces were warm but we saw no red flag signs of instability (no pinwheels, rollerballs or snowballs we could squeeze water out of).
Observer Comments
Weather
Skies were mostly broken today with sun intermittently working through to create shadows, invite sunscreen application and moisten the snow surface.
Between noon and 1300, temperatures at 3,000' were +5-6° C (41-43° F).
Winds were calm to light and variable.
Snow surface
We observed 1-2" of new storm snow which included some rimed stellars and graupel. Snow surfaces were soft in areas without tracks (6-8" ski penetration). Things were noticeably more moist as we shifted from polar to solar aspects.
Snowpack
As a level one does, we dug multiple snowpits in the three different tour locations. Overall structure in snowpits was consistently right side up. In areas where lingering advanced basal facets remain, they were moist, 1F and clearly rounding. The upper and midpack is rounded and cohesive (1F to Pencil hard) and results were overwhelmingly ECTX and CTN. We did go hunting for localized instability for teaching purposes which was in a drainage at 3,300' WSW on a 1F layer 45 cm down on 1mm facets with CT9-13(Q1) and ECTP15-19. Just a reminder that low danger doesn't mean no danger and it is possible to hunt out isolated, localized instabilities.
Good structure and stability throughout the forecast area. We did find some isolated areas of lingering facets that produced results but overwhelmingly, this photo is the snowpack we are working with.