No cracking, collapsing, or recent avalanches observed today.
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Stairstep to Punkspines
Took advantage of an alder tour for visibility to assess snow surfaces in flat light conditions. We toured up Stairstep to the Punkspines and found extremely variable conditions on all aspects although no signs of instability. Low clouds combined with a light wind kept snow surfaces cool, crusts frozen, and skiing better than average but worse than ideal.
Observer Comments
Weather
We experienced a brief and unremarkable duration snowfall with less than one inch of accumulation today that consisted mostly of graupel falling from the sky and our hopes of 3" of snow quickly shattered.
Light winds during our tour kept snow surfaces cool and crust skiing challenging.
Temps ranged from 35* at 2700' during the beginning of our tour, to 30*F at 3550' and 25* at 4500'. The weather felt humid with the low clouds but cold enough for multiple layers at ridgetop before descending.
Snow surface
Snow surfaces were quite variable today and ranged from firm supportable sun crust at low elevation on southerly aspects to wind skins 1-2" thick at mid elevation, to isolated pockets of faceted powder in protected northerly aspects at upper elevation. The best way to find the most quality snow is to use your compass and micro-manage terrain. The snowpack feels and looks like mid-April to beginning of May even though its March.
Snowpack
no formal pits were dug today
hand pits and pole tests showed no instability
3/22 Willows are budding when it should be snowing and winter at 3000'!
3/22 Never seen ridges this base in March, ugg. Top of the Punkspines and determined to ski anyway 4500'
3/22 Breakable 1-2" thick suncrust and firm enough to require hop turns at 2000' on lower stairstep.
3/22 This was the maximum amount of precip we received today and we kept it all to remember what its like when it snows!
The dogs are happy but we are not! Post-holing up to our hips at 1500' to get back to the road was the hardest part of the day.