| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Stairstep
Toured up Stairstep with a small group. Two big whumphs in thinner areas around 3200 ft near ridges. No shooting cracks or collapsing. High quality powder skiing below 3200ft. The snow was wind affected above 3200 ft with exposed ridges blown bare and/or down to the crust above the basal facets.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
Recent strong winds scoured exposed ridges bare or down to the crust above our basal facets. Recent heavy snow fall. 2 whumphs in areas of shallow snow pack near ridges.
Weather
Obscured skies, light snow, and light airs throughout the time our our tour.
Marmot weather station - 1200 - 12 F, 4 mph E wind
(NEW!!!!) Hatch Peak weather station - 1200 - 12 F, 12 mph ESE wind
IM Snotel - last pulse of snow brought 4 inches of snow with ~0.4 SWE
Snow surface
Fun low density powder below 3200 feet
Wind effected snow and exposed crusts above 3200 feet
Snowpack
Dug one pit today at 2700 ft, NW aspect, slope angle 28 degrees
HS 125 cm
PS 30 cm
PF 65 cm
Test results were generally reassuring with no propagation; our only failures were within the storm snow of the last 2 days.
CT4 Q3 10 cm down
ECTN13 10 cm down
Scoured ridges on Punk Spines
Dog smile for lower elevation snow quality