Boletín de aludes

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Peligro de aludes

Thu
Alta montaña
3 · Notable
Límite del bosque
2 · Moderado
Bajo el límite
2 · Moderado
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Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 6 months ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

Yesterday's refreshing storm brought snow to sea level across zones accompanied by strong easterly wind. There are good chances a person could trigger an avalanche up to 2.5' deep in new and windblown snow above 1,000' especially in places that received more than 1' of new snow like Girdwood. While unlikely, there is still a small chance a person could find a thin spot and trigger a very large avalanche on weak snow that is buried up to 6' deep above 2,500'. A good way to avoid all of these problems today is to choose low angle or simple terrain and stay away from steep slopes above.

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Join us Friday, Feb. 13, for the annual Snowball fundraiser! This event is a collaboration with the Alaska Avalanche School and is always a fun way to support two nonprofit organizations that provide avalanche information and education in our area. Silent auction, beverages, hors d'oeuvres, and music by Hope Social Club! Tickets and event info at alaskaavalanche.org

Problemas de aludes

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Likely
    Tamaño
    1–2

    Recent Avalanches: Natural avalanches likely occurred with the storm yesterday, but we haven't had a chance to look around yet.The last reported avalanches occured during the warm and wet storms that came through last week. Some of these included wet slabs and put debris in well traveled areas like the Lynx Creek trail that passes underneath Groundhog Peaks.

    We got the refresh we were hoping for yesterday so surface conditions should be improved. Girdwood was favored this time around and there is over 1' of new snow in the upper elevations. Turnagain Pass reported 5" of new snow. In places that received closer to 1' of new snow, storm slabs up to 1.5' deepcould be easy to trigger today. The surface beneath the new snow is slippery below 3,000' so these avalanches could run further than normal.

    Strong easterly winds created fresh wind slabs up to 2.5' deep anywhere above 1,000' exposed to the wind. Wind is forecast to increase from the south today up to 20 mph so small new wind slabs could form. Wind slabs tend to develop under ridgelines on cross-loaded slopes and on steep rolls. They could be found lower on the slope than expected with the wind speeds and cross-loading that occurred with this storm. Even a slight change in the firmness of the snow could mean you are in wind slab territory. A shooting crack is a clear sign that the snow needs more time to stabilize.

    Dry loose avalanches are likely to be triggered by a person today and could occur naturally if the sun pokes out. These could run further than normal today with a slippery surface beneath.

    (2/10/2026)

    Sunburst weather station recorded easterly winds mostly in the 20s yesterday with a few hours in the 30s.

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alta montaña
    • Límite del bosque
    • Bajo el límite del bosque
    Probabilidad
    Unlikely
    Tamaño
    2–3

    The December facets are now buried up to 6' or more by very dense snow. The good news is this is making it very difficult for a person to impact this weak layer, especially below 2,500', where there is a crust that helps prevent our weight from reaching that layer. The bad news is this is a low probability high consequence situation. If you are very unlucky and find a thin spot (usually near visible rocks, but sometimes the thin spot is hidden under the snow), the avalanche will be very large and difficult to survive. The chances of this occurring go down with each passing storm as the layer gets buried deeper. This can be completely avoided by choosing low angle or simple terrain. 

    (2/7/2026)

    A very warm and wet snowpack. The stout crust on the surface will make it very unlikely a person can trigger an avalanche. This crust became breakable around 2500'.

    Photo: Andrew Schauer

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