Observation: Hatcher Pass

Location: Blueberry Knoll

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Toured up to BBK summit from GPRA parking lot.

If you look carefully you can see a shooting crack run horizontally across the slope as the skier descends into the trees.

 

Checking new snow/old snow bonding:

 

 

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?No
Collapsing (Whumphing)?No
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Shooting cracks on multiple low angle slopes
Active wind loading, 20-25 mph SW winds
~2 feet of new snow in the last 24 hours

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

1100 - 2700 ft (Frostbite Bottom SNOTEL Site) 23 degrees F, max 9 mph SW wind, S2, obscured sky
1300 - 2700 ft (Frostbite Bottom SNOTEL Site) 22 degrees F, max 28 mph SW wind, S2, obscured sky

Marmot weather station was not reporting wind speeds as of 1000 2/19

Snow surface

~2 feet of new snow since 2/17, smooth new
PS 24 inches

Snowpack

No formal stability tests were performed. Multiple hand shears on 20-30 degree slopes, on southernly aspects, around 2000-2400 ft, showed consistent easy failure (HAND - E) within the new storm snow and on buried wind slab. Hand shears revealed cohesive slabs that were 20-24 inches thick.