Lawinenlagebericht

Continental

Valdez Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

The avalanche hazard is Moderate.  Destructive hardslab avalanches remain possible in wind-loaded terrain today. The likelihood of triggering this hardslab problem is low, but the consequences would be deadly. Signs of instability will likely be absent even where hazardous conditions exist. Cautious terrain management while assessing your risk vs reward is recommended.  Natural avalanches are unlikely.

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

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Wind loading has been the primary mechanism creating stress on the 1/26 persistent weak layer. Currently, there is little to no snow available for transport, and therefore, no added stress is being applied to the weak layer. We expect the chances of triggering an avalanche on this layer to be decreasing, but there is some uncertainty regarding sensitivity in heavily wind-loaded areas. Specific leeward terrain features, including steep gullies and large cross-loaded slopes, will be the areas where this problem exists. Winslabs up to 3 feet are expected have decreasing reactivity, but could be sensitive where the slab is thinner. This problem has been slow to heal, as evidenced by several separate avalanche cycles over the last month. Due to the high consequences of triggering this problem, careful terrain management is advised. Users can reduce their risk by avoiding large connected alpine faces and slopes that have been previously loaded by wind. Given the brutal conditions out there, it should be an easy decision to stay off hazardous terrain today.  

    Expect to find significant variability with this problem. Windward areas and exposed slopes will be stripped of the overlying slab that is creating this problem, while leeward slopes will have deep wind-deposited hardslabs. 

     

     

     

    (2/21/2026)

    HS-N-R2-D3-O

    Natural persistent slab avalanche on Averys/SW that failed at a PWL on 2/20 and ran full path ~3800'.

    Photo: Gareth Brown

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely
    Größe
    2.5–3.5

    Little change is expected with our deep, persistent weak layer until additional stress is added to our snowpack. Buried faceted snow and depth hoar near the ground is increasingly common as you move North through our forecast zones, with the Continental zone being the most concerning. 

    A deeply buried weak layer near the ground remains a low-likelihood, high-consequence problem—especially in steep, rocky terrain and areas where the snowpack is thin or highly variable. Triggering this layer directly is unlikely at this time, but avalanches that start in the upper snowpack could step down to the basal weak layer.  There is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the poor structure at the base of the snowpack.  What we can be sure about is that this layer is less of a concern in the Maritime zone and more so as you move towards the Continental zone,d where the snowpack is thinner and the weak layer is more developed. 

    Watch for thin spots near rock outcrops, scoured features, and along ridge tops. Wind loading adds stress to these shallow areas, and we don’t know where the tipping point is.

    (2/13/2026)

    Clueland deep slab (Eastern Tiekel Valley)/ NW 2/13

    Photo: Gareth Brown

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche activity in the last 72 hours: 

Forecast Discussion

Cold, dry weather continues to affect our snowpack. 

 Our layer of greatest concern over the last month has been the 1/26 facet layer that has produced several avalanche cycles involving natural and human-triggered avalanches. Recently, strong winds have reshaped our snowpack, scouring down to this weak layer in some areas while depositing thick windslabs in others. This has reduced the extent of the problem but also created pockets of potentially dangerous hard Windslab on a buried weak layer in specific leeward areas.  This is a low likelihood but high-consequence situation that will require careful terrain management to avoid. Consider your risk vs reward when making decisions out there.  We still have a bit of uncertainty about how this situation will progress, but you can expect continued updates as we gain more information.

No new snow loads are expected to stress the situation for the short-term period. Cold temps and lighter winds this week will likely promote faceting near the surface and may create another persistent weak layer to monitor in the future. Stay tuned!

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

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