Persistent Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 2–3
Recent Avalanches: Human triggered avalanches occurred on Sunday across the Turnagain forecast area. A snowmachiner was caught and carried in Lynx Creek. A skier triggered avalanche resulted in deploying their airbag on Seattle Ridge. There was a skier triggered avalanche in the trees on Eddies that was surprisingly wider and ran to lower angle terrain. There were also multiple reports of small avalanches about 1’ deep on Monday. These may be small but have the potential to trigger a deeper avalanche.
Dangerous avalanche conditions exist today meaning it will be easy to trigger a large avalanche 2 to 3’ deep. A layer of buried surface hoar has been proven guilty of many human triggered avalanches and is showing no sign of going away quickly. It has been found on all aspects above 1,500’. Many avalanches have been remotely triggered meaning that people traveling on lower angle slopes are triggering avalanches above them or on slopes adjacent to them. Another scary problem we are seeing is that you may not find it on the slope you are on then travel another 100’ and trigger an avalanche. Snow tests also are giving stable and unstable results. Because of these two reasons our biggest concern is that someone decides a slope is safe to ride and then they trigger a large avalanche.
These are times when it is important to think about the big picture. Human triggered avalanches are occurring almost every day on a very weak layer of snow on multiple aspects and elevations. This layer is extremely challenging to assess. Instead of trying to outsmart the problem the safest option is to make conservative decisions today and ride less consequential terrain away from steep overhead slopes.
Loose Avalanches: Look out for dry loose avlanches in dry snow and wet loose avalanches on sunny slopes. These are triggered underneath you and may be larger than expected with the potential to carry a person into trees or off of a cliff.
Cornices falling will likely trigger a large avalanche above you today. Spend as little time underneath them as possible or avoid them altogether. If you find yourself on a ridge, give them plenty of room.
Glide avalanches: Keep in mind if you encounter glide cracks that they can release at any time as a large glide avalanche. If you cannot avoid them try to spend as little time under them as possible.
(3/9/2025)
Skier triggered avalanche on Sunday in the Eddie trees that was wider than expected and spread to low angle slopes.
