Lawinenlagebericht

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Mon
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Showery precipitation and moderate winds are creating fresh wind slabs up to 1' deep at upper elevations. The cloudy and wet weather overnight likely caused a weak refreeze, increasing the chances of glide avalanches or wet slabs, especially at lower elevations and in areas receiving heavier precipitation, like Portage. A weak layer buried 4 to 6' deep could cause very large avalanches, however human human-triggered avalanches on this layer are unlikely.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Motorized Closures: The Chugach National Forest has closed all winter motorized use areas due to low snow coverage, except for the Turnagain Pass/Seattle Ridge area. Visit our Riding Areas page for more information. National Forest staff will continue to monitor snow coverage conditions to assess whether it  will be possible to extend the opening for the Turnagain Pass zone if low elevation snow coverage allows. Motorized access in the Whittier area will be open through April 28.

End of Season Operations: Today is the final forecast for the season!  Thank you to everyone who helped us this season by sharing an observation, coming out for a field day, donating to our nonprofit partner the Friends of the Chugach Avalanche Center, or by simply reading the forecast. We can't tell you enough how much we appreciate all of the support from the community. Have a safe spring and summer, and we are excited to do it all again next season! We will continue publishing observations through the spring as you all submit them, so if you get out please take a few minutes to let everyone know what you're seeing by filling out an observation here.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Today is the last forecast of the season, but the winter weather is not quite ready to let go. Showery precipitation could bring up to 1 to 3" of snow to Turangain Pass and Girdwood, with heavier rain and snow concentrated near Portage. Rainline should start around 1500' and rise to 2000' this afternoon. Moderate east winds averaging 15 to 25 mph will accompany the precipitation. 

    Visibility looks like it will be challenging today, but if folks get into upper elevations, the winds and new snow will be forming fresh wind slabs up to 1' deep. These are most likely to be found above 2000' along ridgelines and cross-loaded gullies. Keep an eye out for active wind transport onto leeward slopes, shooting cracks, or hollow feeling pillows of wind-drifted snow to identify areas with potential wind slabs. 

    Cornices are naturally shedding off ridgelines as part of the transition to a spring snowpack and can be a hazard if you are travelling underneath them. They can also trigger larger avalanches on the slopes below. We recommend trying to avoid travelling underneath cornices that are being actively wind loaded and giving them a wide berth if you are travelling along a ridgeline.

    Precipitation totals for Sunday, April 27th, from NWS Anchorage.

  • Glide Cracks

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

    The cloudy and wet weather overnight likely means the surface snow did not refreeze. Glide avalanches and wet avalanches will be more likely today at low elevations where weak wet snow is on the surface. If you find your boot sinking into the snowpack above boot top, then we recommend avoiding steep terrain and runouts of overhead avalanche paths. The timing of glide avalanches and wet slabs is impossible to predict, so the best way to manage them is to avoid travelling under glide cracks or on steep slopes with unconsolidated wet snow. 

    In areas receiving heavier precipitation, like near Portage, these problems are more likely to cause natural avalanches. Debris from avalanches releasing at higher elevations can runout to valley bottoms and make trails that are normally safe dangerous during spring storms. 

    (4/25/2025)

    Small wet slab avalanches on Seattle Ridge. 

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    A buried weak layer 4 to 6' deep is still a concern for causing very large avalanches. Human-triggered avalanches are unlikely at this point, but cornice fall or smaller avalanches could step down to this layer, creating a much larger and more dangerous avalanche. As the spring meltdown continues, we expect to see large wet slabs releasing on this layer once meltwater starts to pool above the weak layer. Due to the depth of the weak layer, it is no longer possible to test or evaluate it. The best we can do is manage our terrain to minimize exposure to a potential avalanche. Choosing terrain with a safe runout that avoids terrain traps or choosing smaller start zones can help reduce your exposure to the potential for a very large avalanche releasing on this layer. 

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