Hatcher Pass, Alaska Avalanche Advisory - ARCHIVED

Update, Monday, November 20, 2017 at 7:45 am
Issued: Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 8AM
Expires: Tue, Nov 21, 2017

This advisory is archived for reference purposes. On November 22 a fatality occured at 3600'. This
advisory had expired but it was the most recent one available at the time.

Above 3,500 ft   	Considerable
2,500 to 3,500 ft 	Moderate
Below 2,500 ft 		Low

Problem Details

BOTTOM LINE: The avalanche hazard is rising to CONSIDERABLE today with strong sustained winds.

Likelihood: Natural avalanches will be possible today and human triggered will be likely.

Travel Advice: Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, Cautious route 
finding, and conservative decision-making essential.

WIND SLAB: Today’s winds have begun to pick up. At 6am at 4,500', gusts hit ENE 29 mph. This 
verifies the NWS forecast for today, calling for NE 21-39 mph above 3,000'. It looks like we 
are not going to escape the wind this time. Expect winds to transport up to 8? of low density 
snow (from the last two brief storms) and build sensitive wind slabs at mid to upper elevations, 
generally on SW to West aspects. The aspect location could change with wind direction changes 
through today and this evening. Expect strong winds to build 1-2 foot deep wind slabs today.

Older, persistent slabs, such as the one mentioned in avalanche activity below, will be buried, 
difficult to identify and will compound the avalanche hazard.

This is a great day to avoid the mountains and the hazard. Give the mountains their space, and 
give them a day or two to adjust to new snow loads and avalanche problems.

Recent Avalanche Activity

On 11/18 a human triggered persistent slab avalanche (old wind slab formed 11/13-14) was 
triggered at 5k’ on an east aspect. The avalanche was small, D1, 5? deep, and stubborn to 
trigger and propagate.