Observed 2-3 day old wind slabs.
Observed glide crack avalanches growing daily.
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: IM to Rae Wallace to Presidents
Toured from IM to Rae Wallace to President’s to Archangel.
8F @ 11am at 4300, calm winds.
11F@ 1400 at 4300, calm winds.
Tracking old buried melt-freeze crusts and trying to find a facet in the snowpack!
Avalanche Details
Observer Comments
No cracking or collapsing during our tour.
No new glide avalanches observed today.
No slab avalanches observed today.
Weather
3-4" new snow over past few days.
8F @ 11am at 4300, calm winds.
11F@ 1400 at 4300, calm winds.
Snow surface
6mm surface hoar growing at and just below ridge lines.
Leeward aspects range from 2-3ft of soft snow, sitting on old crusts.
Windward aspects range from 1-2ft of soft snow, but old crusts can be felt underfoot on occasion.
Boot pen 55 cm, Ski pen 20cm
Snowpack
North aspect- Pole tests, hand shears, and hasty pits on mid and upper elevation leeward aspects show good to excellent stability.
Southeast aspect- Dug pit @4440' and found rounds starting to facets below and in between crusts. Good stability.
Test results show low propagation, high strength.
CT 20 PC@70cm
CT 22 PC@ 51cm
CT 30 PC@ 58cm
ECTN17 @ 70cm
PST 38/100 Arr @ 51cm
*all failures above and below crusts
Snowpack on windward aspects is considerably shallower @90-125cm (due to last weeks wind).
Several day old small wind slabs (from Thanksgiving HP-apocalypse) observed on leeward aspects at upper elevation.
Evidence of glide crack enlargement observed 12/3 on Marmot, Point 40 (near Microdot), and Martin Mine.
Glide Crack and 2-3 day old wind slab, Martin Mine. Photo 12.4.19
Glide Crack, Point 40 near Microdot. Released @ 12/2.19
Growing suface hoar with cold conditions. Photo 12.4.19
Thanksgiving-HPapocalypse WIND ripples on windward aspects. Photo 12.4.19