Avalanche forecast

Continental

Valdez Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche hazard is Moderate at upper elevations and low below.  There remains a chance that a person could trigger a wind slab avalanche near an upper elevation ridgeline up to 1 foot in depth.  It is unlikely to trigger an avalanche elsewhere. Natural avalanches are unlikely.

Avalanche Forecasts will be issued 3 days/week during December.  5-day/week forecasts will return in January once 2026 funding comes through.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    The wind continues to blow, but there is little to no soft snow available to form new wind slabs.  Older wind slabs have locked up and are unreactive, making them unlikely for a person or machine to trigger in the majority of locations.  The hazard has been left at Moderate at upper elevations due to the small chance of isolated pockets of softer or newly formed wind slab near upper elevation ridgelines in steep terrain.

    Watch out for areas of newly formed wind slab on lee slopes if travellling in steep upper elevation terrain

     

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche activity in the last 72 hours:  None

Forecast Discussion:  

A prolonged period of strong winds continues to erode our snowpack. Cold temps are faceting our thin snowpack, including snow at the ground. Faceting has not yet been observed to be significant in the intermountain zone and doesn't have a major effect on current stability, but will have the potential to be an issue in the future once snowfall returns.

The avalanche hazard is low for the majority of terrain in our forecast zone.  Windslabs are hard enough at this point that a person or machines weight is diffused to the point where there is no meaningful effect on the underlying snow.

Flagging can still be observed along high elevation ridgelines during times of wind speeds greater than 60 mph.  The snow that is being redistributed consists of a very thin layer of faceted snow that forms on wind hardened snow surfaces as cold air very slowly erodes away at the snowpack during lulls in the wind.  This redistributed snow is mostly sublimated back into the air and is unlikely to form slabs of consequence.  The hazard has been left conservatively at Moderate at upper elevations, due to the small chance that newer wind slabs may exist in isolated locations of steep upper elevation lee slopes near ridgelines.

We are entering our third week of outflow winds, and there is no end yet in sight.  We may receive a few snowflakes near Christmas, but high pressure appears to remain firmly entrenched for the long term.  For the short term expect an increase in the strength of north winds over the weekend.

Additional Details:  There is no field data from the Maritime zone due to low snow coverage and thick brush restricting access.  Numerous Glide avalanches have released in the Maritime zone in the mid elevation band.  Some of these may have failed without previous visible glide cracks.  Avoid travel below glide cracks as they can fail at any time.  Their likelihood of failure is independent of the snowpack stability.  Check out the season summary tab for more information on the development of the snowpack.

 

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