Avalanche forecast

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
No rating
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

There are two concerns in the Turnagain Pass area. The first is the lingering possibility of triggering an avalanche where recent winds have blown snow into stiffer slabs up to 2' deep or deeper that may still be reactive today. These avalanches are most likely to be found above 2500' in steep, wind loaded start zones. The second is the ongoing glide avalanche cycle, which is still best managed by avoiding spending time under open glide cracks.

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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    After a wet and wild week, the weather is starting to quiet down, and the avalanche danger is doing the same. However, we still have very limited information following the holiday storm, so steep terrain should be approached strategically today. This means assessing the snowpack in the area you are traveling- looking for clear signs of unstable snow like recent avalanches, shooting cracks, or collapsing. It can also be a good opportunity to use small slopes to test for surface instabilities before moving into bigger terrain.

    We are also expecting a few more inches of snow with some wind transport during the day that will make for a fresh batch of smaller, but more reactive wind slabs. There are likely isolated upper-elevation slopes where a layer of surface hoar was buried over the past week that may still remain reactive today. Keep this in mind as you travel, and consider using lower-consequence terrain until we are able to gain a little more insight into the sensitivity and distribution of this potentially bigger problem.

    Cornice Fall: The heavy precipitation and strong winds over the past week have built large cornices that are releasing naturally. These have the potential to trigger avalanches, and some are large enough on their own to be a major concern. Be aware of this additional hazard as you travel near ridgelines, and be sure to give them a wide berth since they have a nasty habit of releasing much further back that one would expect.

    (12/25/2024)

    Debris from large cornice fall in Warmup Bowl. There was a similar pile in Zero Bowl.

    Photo: Andrew Schauer

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    We haven't gotten much feedback on the ongoing glide avalanche cycle since the weather picked up last week. For now, we assume that glide cracks may still release suddenly and unexpectedly. These are large and destructive and the best way to manage that problem is to avoid traveling under open cracks. Be on the lookout for open glide cracks in overhead terrain, and be prepared to adjust common travel routes if they are threatened by an active glide crack.

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