Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Light winds and low-density snow are likely not enough to tip the avalanche scale today. Generally stable conditions exist across all elevations in the Girdwood/ Turnagain Pass zones. Stay alert for isolated areas of unstable snow, including shallow wind slabs and dry loose avalanches. Standard backcountry protocols remain essential as you move through avalanche terrain today. Expose only one person at a time to steep terrain, watch your partners from safe spots outside runout zones, and have your exit route planned in case a pocket of snow slides.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Northern Aspects Film Festival is coming to Seward, TONIGHT!  Benefiting the Friends of the Chugach Avalanche Center, this homegrown collection of ski and snowboard films, made for Alaskans by Alaskans, is sure to inspire!  Tickets are $15 at the door.  Rae building --  125 3rd Ave.  Seward, AK.  

Recent Avalanches: The last avalanches in the Girdwood/Turnagain Pass zone were last week on Captain's Chair in the Lynx Creek drainage, and on Notch Mountain in Girdwood. Both of these likely failed on a weak layer of faceted snow buried roughly 1 to 1.5' deep.

Snow showers are moving into eastern Turnagain Arm, and while it admittedly feels odd to issue a LOW avalanche danger rating concurrent with a winter weather advisory, we don't expect the incoming weight of this storm to be enough to tip the avalanche scales today.  The incoming storm may deposit another 4 to 8" of soft, low-density snow by this evening, but with little wind in the forecast, it's unlikely that slabs will build today.  That said, with such low-density storm snow expected, it won't take much wind to build shallow, touchy wind slabs in upper elevations, and we may be edging toward MODERATE danger late in the day. 

 The distribution of older, more stubborn wind slabs is harder to pinpoint, but it's still possible to find stiffer snow over a weak layer of facets that formed in early March.  Areas above treeline in the Girdwood Valley are most susceptible to older wind slabs up to 1' deep in isolated or extreme terrain. 

It's important again to follow safe travel protocols during periods of decreased avalanche danger.  Maintaining eyes on your partners from safe spots, traveling one at a time through avalanche terrain, and planning an escape route are all ways to minimize your consequences if a slope does slide.

Dry loose avalanches remain likely again today. These have been fast-running, will be gaining volume with today's new snow, and will be very easy to trigger in steep terrain.