Lawinenlagebericht

Seward and Lost Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
Open full map
Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 6 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Strong northerly winds blew in last night averaging in the 20 mph range for several hours. This could make it easy for a person to trigger an avalanche in windblown snow up to 2' deep. In wind sheltered areas, dry loose avalanches could have serious consequences if they carry you into rocks or over a cliff. Finally, there is still a small chance a person could trigger a very large avalanche on weak snow buried up to 6' deep. All of today's problems primarily exist above 2,500' and can be avoided by choosing low angle or simple terrain.

____________________________

Join us TODAY, Feb 15th for a Free Avalanche Rescue Clinic! Located at the Glen Alps Trailhead, all are welcome! There will be a wide range of rescue scenarios for both beginners and seasoned backcountry enthusiasts. Session 1 – 10am to 12pm | Session 2 – 1pm to 3pm. Limited rentals and space available. Register here.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    Recent Avalanches: We didn't get to Lost Lake this week and didn't get any reports of recent avalanches. The last large avalanches observed in the Seward area were on February 4 after the warm storm that came through.

    Winds calmed into the single digits as of early this morning, and the avalanche danger decreases with time from the loading event. Strong north winds are forecast to increase into the 30s mph again early this afternon, which could rapidly increase the danger. If the wind remains calm, wind slabs in this area may be getting old by the time you get out there today. As time passes, they become more stubborn, which means you can get further out onto the slab before it releases. Or they may have stabilized already, it's impossible to know. Wind slabs form just under the ridgelines, in cross-loaded gullies and on steep rolls. Watch for shooting cracks, like the ones in this photo, which are a clear sign they have not stabilized and need more time. 

    Dry Loose Avalanches: The snow has remained cold for several days and dry loose avalanches could still occur in steep terrain. The wind today should keep the snow cool, but the sun is forecast to shine, which can trigger this type of avalanche naturally. Dry loose avalanches can sweep us off our feet in take us into places with consequences like trees and cliffs. Choose slopes with clear runouts to avoid these consequences.

    (2/11/2026)

    This small wind slab and cracking occurred on Wednesday. With today's wind forecast, look for shooting cracks as a sign the snow is unstable.

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    2–3

    There is a very thick crust below 3,000' in Seward, which helps prevent a person from being able to impact the December facets. We don't know where this crust thins and disappears. Wherever this happens, there is a small chance a person could find a thin spot, near ridgelines or rocks, and trigger a very large avalanche on the weak snow from December. This problem exists in the same place as the wind slab today so you can avoid all of these problems by choosing terrain in the lower elevations where there is soft snow from recent cold storms.

    (2/11/2026)

    Snowpit at 2,200' on Mt. Eva, stable result (DTN) on Dec. facets that are 4' down

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

Abgedeckte Regionen