Happy Solstice! Similar to yesterday, wind slab is the primary avalanche problem of concern today. With strong North winds forecasted today, human triggered avalanches will remain possible in upper elevation terrain on Douglas Island on leeward slopes and features and near ridgetops. Avoid areas of fresh wind deposited snow and watch out for shooting cracks, collapsing, and hollow feeling snow as signs of potentially reactive wind slab.
Wind slabs can vary greatly in size, distribution and sensitivity to triggers over small areas. Localized wind effects in alpine terrrain require a heightened level of caution when traveling in avalanche terrain during wind slab conditions. Fresh and actively loading wind slabs are especially hazardous. Signs of wind slab can include shooting cracks, collapsing, or hollow feeling snow.
Todays avalanche forecast is a slightly colder and potentially much windier version of yesterdays forecast. Upper elevation wind slabs are still our main avalanche problem of concern. That being said, with the potential of much higher winds today there could be significantly more snow being transported around in alpine areas making wind slabs potentially more reactive than yesterday. If strong winds descend to middle and lower elevation terrain, wind slabs could start to develop in these zones as well since there is still ample light density snow available for transport in these areas. The National Weather Service has issued both a high wind warning and an extreme cold warning today for the entire Juneau area with North winds projected to reach up to 75mph by tonight which will make wind chill values dangerously low in exposed areas. Going into the holiday week, chances of snow return to forecast models as early as mid week however timing and amounts of potential snow are still unclear at this time. Stay warm out there and Happy Solstice!!!
