Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 2–3
Recent avalanches: We haven't heard of any new avalanches since the ones reported during the January 16 to 19 storm when there was a large natural avalanche cycle and several snow machine-triggered avalanches.
There is some uncertainty in this zone today. Primrose weather station stopped reporting so we don't know how much snow fell above 700' yesterday. We know that 8" had already fallen before 4pm at 2,000' and it continued to precipitate well into the evening. Strong easterly wind and a few more inches of snow are expected today above rainline, which should be about 1,500'. We haven't been to Snug Harbor in a while so we don't have much information from that side of the zone. We do know that the Seward area has the same dangerous weak layer as the other zones that is buried up to 5' deep. If you find a thin spot to trigger it, the avalanche would be difficult to survive.
When we have more uncertainty, it's good to create wider margins for error and make conservative decisions. For today, and through the duration of these storms, the safest thing is to avoid avalanche terrain. Lost Lake has plenty of terrain that is low angle and doesn't have anything steep above. It is more difficult to avoid steep terrain in the Snug Harbor area so ensure you are watching and staying away from steep terrain above.
Estimated snow totals above rainline from Monday to Wednesday morning at 6am:
Location Snow Water Girdwood 13" 1.25" Portage/Placer 4" 2" (this is 2' of snow above rainline!) Turnagain Pass 3" 0.3" Summit Lake 3" 0.3" Grouse Creek (700') 8" There is likely quite a bit more than this in the upper elevations 0.6"
