Lawinenlagebericht

Maritime

Valdez Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
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Kernpunkte

The avalanche hazard remains Considerable.  Above freezing temperatures at low elevations of the Maritime zone will continue to promote the potential for wet loose activity.  At mid and upper elevations recent snowfall will make human triggered avalanches likely 1-2 feet in depth.

Public avalanche forecasts are issued Wednesday-Sunday at 8 am. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    Our area currently has a persistent slab problem. Until recently, we thought this was primarily a buried surface hoar issue limited to elevations below 3,000’. Two human-triggered avalanches on February 6, both involving full or partial burials, show the weak layer is more widespread than we previously believed. These avalanches propagated widely for the terrain they occurred in and involved more than the most recent storm snow. They likely failed on the January 26 interface, potentially on faceted snow that formed during the clear, calm weather from January 19–24.

    Light snowfall today will gradually add load and contribute to slab development. North winds were observed in some areas yesterday; be alert for wind-stiffened slabs on leeward features that may increase sensitivity. Because this is a persistent problem, we do not expect rapid healing, instability may remain spatially variable but consequential where slabs are thicker and stiffer. Notably, both February 6 incidents occurred with little to no classic feedback (cracking, whumphing) during travel.

    There’s a lot of great snow out there to enjoy. Reduce your risk by choosing simple terrain, avoiding slopes steeper than 30°, and staying out from under steep, connected avalanche paths.

    (2/6/2026)

    Skier triggered avalanche on Cracked Ice. ~500' wide/ ~2' deep. ARu-SS-R4-D2.5

    Photo: Gareth Brown

  • Loose Wet

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

    Above freezing temperatures in the Maritime zone continue.  Wet loose natural and human triggered avalanches will be a concern today in steep low elevation terrain.  Pay attention to surface conditions.  If wet snow exists at the surface then wet loose avalanches are a concern in terrain steeper than 30°.  Be aware that even small wet loose slides can be powerful and can knock a traveler off their feet or machine.  Pay attention to not only the slope you are traveling on but what is above and below you.  It is reccomended to avoid terrain traps and steep terrain at low elevations today.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    Weak snow near the ground exists at all elevations and is now deeply buried in most locations. In many areas, basal facets are bridged by stronger, stiffer layers in the middle of the snowpack. As this problem gets deeper it becomes harder to trigger and is unlikely to produce obvious red flags like cracking or collapsing. Expect a stubborn, unreactive deep slab in most places—this is a low-likelihood / high-consequence setup.

    The most likely trigger points are thin spots, especially steep, rocky terrain where the weak layers are closer to the surface. A rider may be able to stress the basal weak snow in these shallow areas, and a small trigger could step down or propagate into deeper, thicker parts of the snowpack, producing a large and destructive avalanche. The best way to manage this problem is to avoid steep, rocky features and other shallow-snow areas where the snowpack is thin and variable.

    (1/23/2026)

    Large connected natural hard slab avalanche associated with our deep persistent weak layer. Mt Dimond north face

    Photo: Gareth Brown

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche activity in the last 72 hours:  

Cracked Ice: 5600' W/NW ARu-SS-R4-D2.5

Easter Bunny: 6000' E/NE ASu-SS-R5-D2.5

School bus: 5000' W/NW N-SS-R2-D2

Forecast Discussion

The snowpack remains complicated, and a cautious approach to terrain steeper than 30° is recommended. On February 6, two skier-triggered avalanche incidents resulted in full and partial burials involving experienced travelers on separate aspects at upper elevations. One of these incidents involved myself: I triggered an avalanche and was fully buried on a slope we considered unlikely to produce avalanche activity. I was fortunate to escape without injuries (see observation). These incidents underscore how a persistent weak layer can produce high-consequence avalanches even without obvious warning signs.

Over the past week, we have been emphasizing buried surface hoar as a persistent weak layer primarily below 3,000’. Yesterday’s incidents made it clear our understanding of the distribution was incomplete. Weak, faceted snow exists at the January 26 interface at upper elevations, even where surface hoar is not present. This weak layer has recently been stressed by new snow and wind, increasing the likelihood of persistent slab avalanches in specific terrain.

For more information regarding our snowpack, see our Season summary, Observations, and avalanche activity sections.   

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