Seward and Lost Lake

Winds have calmed down making chances for a human triggered avalanche unlikely in the Seward area. However, with elevated easterly ridgetop winds two days ago, there is a chance a lingering pocket of unstable snow could be found, especially on steep upper elevation slopes. Other hazards to watch for include cornices that are warming in the sun that could fail and glide cracks that could release without warning.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

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Click here for more information.

It is back to calm and sunny today for one more day before the pattern shifts. Elevated easterly ridgetop winds on Monday created blowing snow and wind slabs in Turnagain Pass and Summit Lake (unsure about Seward). These are 2 days old by now and should be stabilizing, but keep an eye out for stiff snow over softer snow especially in the upper elevations. Stubborn wind slabs aren't as likely to give a warning sign like a shooting crack so watch for hazards in the runout below in case an unlikely avalanche occurs. With warm temperatures, sun, and calm wind we could see natural loose avalanches especially near rocks on steep south facing slopes. Cornice falls could also occur naturally or be triggered by a human or machine especially in the heat of the afternoon. A thin sun crust has formed on south facing slopes in the northern zones, which is likely occurring in the Seward area too. This  isn't too much of a problem right now, but may start to affect the riding conditions and become a layer for an avalanche to slide on with a new load of snow especially if it has surface hoar sitting on top of it, which is the case in the northern zones. 

Until Saturday, February 8,  glide cracks and avalanches had not been observed in the Seward zone to our knowledge. We still haven't seen any in the Lost Lake area, but several glide cracks were observed this weekend on east and west aspects of the coastal mountains surrounding Seward. One of these glide cracks was observed on the east side of Marathon above the Bench Trail. This is something to keep in mind as these cracks can release at any time into a large avalanche. Avoid spending any time underneath them if possible. 

(2/8/2025)

Glide cracks showing up in the Seward area. These two are on the east face of Marathon.

Photo: Mik Dalpes