Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 1–2
Recent Avalanches: Yesterday was active. A skier was caught, carried, and injured in an avalanche on Max's, another person was caught and carried in a small avalanche in Crow Creek, and a third person was caught, carried, and partially buried in an avalanche just outside of the forecast zone in the Punchbowl area near Girdwood. There were avalanches triggered remotely at Taylor Pass and in the Squirrel Flats area in the Placer Valley, and several avalanches triggered on Sunburst and Tincan.
Avalanche conditions are dangerous right now. Last week's storm has overloaded two different weak layers in the upper 1 to 2' of the snowpack, and we are seeing a lot of human-triggered avalanches as a result. These avalanches have not been massive, but there have been multiple incidents that could easily have been fatal. One common theme from yesterday was people triggering avalanches without prior warning signs, or after multiple tracks have already crossed a slope.
The setup that caused all of the activity yesterday remains today. Traveling in steep terrain is a gamble right now, and the odds aren't great. Approach steep terrain with caution, and consider sticking to low-angle slopes to avoid the current problematic setup.
We will likely see more Loose Snow Avalanches on southerly aspects as things heat up in the sun this afternoon. These will be most likely in steep, south-facing terrain. They have the potential to trigger larger slab avalanches as they run downslope, and they could be concerning on their own if they were to carry you into terrain traps. Keep an eye on steep southerly slopes later in the day, especially those with trees or rocks, which will be the first to heat up in the sun.
(3/21/2026)
Remote-triggered avalanche in the Squirrel Flats area above the Placer Valley.