Lawinenlagebericht

Continental

Valdez Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
3 · Erheblich
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist last year abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

The avalanche hazard is Considerable below 1500 feet and Moderate above.  Wet loose avalanches remain a concern at low elevations in steep terrain.  Above 2000' storm slabs could be triggered by users involving the new snow, especially in wind loaded areas.  Natural wet loose avalanches are possible in steep low elevation terrain.

Avalanche Forecasts are issued Wednesday-Sunday at 8 am.  

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2.5

    Above freezing temperatures and rain on snow continue at low elevations.  At this point the snowpack is saturated below 1500'.  Wet loose avalanches are likely to be human triggered and could occur naturally in steep terrain at low elevations.  

    This avalanche problem is elevation dependant and the chances of wet loose hazard will decrease as you go up in elevation.  One way to determine the strength of the snowpack and the likelihood of wet loose activity is by how supportive the snowpack is.  If the surface snow cant support you on your feet and you posthole to your waist, wet loose avalanches are likely in steep terrain.

    If the sun is able to poke out at any point today, solar aspects will quickly become reactive at all elevations.

     

    (4/2/2025)

    Skier triggered wet loose avalanche near Worthington Glacier toe.

    Photo: Gareth Brown

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Shallow storm slabs have been forming since the 5th.  The snow line has been all over the place with a rise to near 5000' at the beginning of the storm  on the 5th dropping all the way to sea level the night of the 7th.  Currently we have a few wet inches of snow on top of a moist upper snowpack around 2000'.  Above 2000' storm slab depths gradually build and are likely around 1 foot deep at upper elevations at this point. Cloudy weather has prevented upper elevation observations over the last few days, but ~ 6 inches of dense new snow has been observed at 3500' on 4/8 with likely double that above 5000'.  

    Warm temperatures are good for bonding where snow is falling, however human triggered avalanches are possible, equal to the depth of the new snow while storm slabs are actively accumulating.   Winds have been blowing from a variety of directions, so expect to find more sensitive wind drifted pockets near upper elevation ridges where the new snow is slightly drier and more susceptible to transport.  The snow line is forecasted to return to sea level for a period of time today with up to a foot of additional accumulation in the upper elevations by Thursday evening.

    Pay attention to settled storm snow depths and how well the new snow has bonded with the snowpack.  Small inconsequential test slopes and hasty hand pits are effective tools for our current situation.  

    The avalanche hazard will be higher in areas that have more than a foot of settled storm snow.

Avalanche Discussion

Observed Avalanche Activity last 72 hours: 

Poor visibility has prevented the observation of any new avalanche activity.

Forecast Discussion:

The avalanche problem that a user encounters will depend upon the elevations traveled.  Wet loose is a concern at low elevations in steep terrain while storm slabs are gradually building in depth above 2000'.   Field observations are limited at upper elevations at this point.  The major question mark right now is snow depths above 5000' and if there is any faceted snow at the new old interface that would have been left behind from the March high pressure.  Wind at the tail end of the high pressure and a major spike in temperatures has helped to reduce the size, form and distribution of faceted snow to some extent, but more upper elevations observations will be required to gain confidence in the bonding of the new snow.  

Warm and wet weather are forecasted to continue for the foreseeable future.

The 3/16 layer of Buried surface hoar has been removed from our avalanche problem list.  Continued observation of this layer within our forecast area has shown the weak layer in question to be highly deformed (rounding), laying flat, mixed with other rounded grains and unreactive in stability tests.  The most recent spike in temperatures has further decreased the likelihood of this layer being reactive in the our forecast area as warm temperatures and moisture continue to promote rounding and mixing of the layer with other rounded grains.  This layer should continue to be monitored for those travelling outside of the forecast area especially in zones to the south and east of Marshall Pass where this layer continues to be reported as preserved.

Additional Information:

Watch out for cornices. A couple of cornice falls have been observed in the Continental region as well as more remote zones outside the forecast area.

A weather and snowpack season history is available by clicking on the Season Summary tab which is located below the bottom line statement once you have entered the full forecast.

Season Snowfall Data

Location 24 hour Snowfall Inches- 4/9 24 hour Snow Water Equivalent Inches Height of Snow April Snowfall Inches Season Total Snowfall Valdez    0    .1    38     0 N/O     Thompson Pass    4    N/O   N/O     0    ~500 Nicks    1    N/O    131    0 N/O 46 Mile    0     0   18    0 N/O

Abgedeckte Regionen