Avalanche forecast

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The main concern for Turnagain Pass is triggering an avalanche 1 to 3 feet deep where the wind has blown snow into stiffer slabs, especially at upper elevations. These are slowly becoming more stubborn and less likely to trigger, but with two human-triggered avalanches yesterday these are still an issue to pay attention to. Look for better stability and surface conditions in terrain that has remained sheltered from recent winds, still holding soft snow on the surface.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Avalanche Rescue Workshop at Glen Alps has been POSTPONED to Sunday, February 9th.  The workshop is 100% free of charge and all experience levels are welcome. Click HERE for more information.

We're on a brewery tour next week! Come out for two free evenings of conversations about the world of snow and avalanches:

  • State of the Snowpack talk - Tuesday, February 4th, 6-7pm at Onsight Brewing in Anchorage. Join Dr. John Sykes and Mary Gianotti for a night of snowpack discussion at a new venue! More details HERE. 
  • Forecaster Chat - Thursday, February 6th, 6-7:30 p.m. at Girdwood Brewing Co. in Girdwood. Andrew Schauer will discuss recent CNFAC research and highlight ways it can help your backcountry game. Details HERE.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: Yesterday a skier triggered an avalanche on what we suspect was a wind-loaded terrain feature in the Lynx Creek drainage. The skier was caught and carried, sustained injuries and was evacuated via helicopter. We are still collecting information on the event and will share details as they become available. A snowmachine also triggered a small avalanche on a wind loaded slope in Main Bowl on the back side of Seattle Ridge. Nobody was caught or carried in that avalanche.

    Our main concern for now remains the same type of avalanches that we saw yesterday - wind slabs that have formed over the past two days that are around 1 to 2 feet deep. Some of these are becoming more stubborn, but may still be reactive in isolated terrain as we head into the weekend. you can manage this problem by avoiding wind-loaded terrain and looking for stable snow and better surface conditions in terrain that has been sheltered from recent winds. Be wary of any slopes with stiff or punchy snow on the surface, especially if you notice any shooting cracks or collapsing. The most likely places to run into trouble will be in steep upper-elevation terrain just below ridgelines, convex rolls, or in loaded gullies.

    As the quiet weather makes it easier to pursue bigger objectives, keep in mind even a small avalanche can have severe consequences in steep terrain.

    Cornices: Last weekend's storm was followed by northwesterly winds over the week, building large cornices on many aspects. These often catch people by surprise, breaking back much further from the edge than we'd expect. Keep that in mind if you are traveling along ridgelines, and be sure to limit spending time under them since they can release naturally.

    Glide avalanches: We have noticed many glide cracks opening up again during the cold and clear weather this week. The only one that has released that we are aware of was on the south end of Seattle Ridge on Thursday. These avalanches are unpredictable and very large, so it's important to avoid spending any time under open glide cracks. 

    (1/31/2025) 

    Small snowmachine-triggered avalanche on a wind-loaded slope in Main Bowl, on the backside of Seattle Ridge.

    Photo: Brandon Wilson

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