Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Avalanche problems

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  1–2

  The snowfall over the past few days brought up to 6" of new snow above 2500' in Turnagain Pass and Girdwood and 12" or more of new snow to coastal areas like Portage and Placer. Moderate east winds accompanied the snowfall, averaging 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. At lower elevations, wet snow or rain fell, and the snowpack is starting to feel pretty saturated. 

  Wind slabs up to 1' deep along ridgelines, gullies, and convex features are the most likely type of avalanche to encounter today. These should be getting more stubborn to trigger as the winds die down, but could still cause an avalanche large enough to bury a person. Even a small avalanche could entrain a lot of moist to wet snow as it travels downhill and become larger and more dangerous. You can look for signs of unstable wind slabs, like shooting cracks or hollow feeling pockets of wind-loaded snow on top of softer snow underneath. 

  We still have weak layers buried 1.5 to 2' deep that could cause larger avalanches, but these are less likely to be triggered by a person. It is possible for a small wind slab or loose snow avalanche to step down and cause a larger avalanche if they become large enough to initiate a failure in one of the buried weak layers. You can reduce the chances of a bad outcome by avoiding terrain traps, like gullies, cliffs, and creek beds, which can cause deeper burial if an avalanche is triggered. 

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Likely

  Size

  1–2

  Yesterday's rain up to about 1500' made for sticky travel conditions, and the snowpack is starting to feel saturated below treeline. Larger wet snow avalanches are becoming more likely as meltwater works its way deeper into the snowpack. Even small avalanches that start from the sun hitting rocks high on a slope can turn into large and destructive avalanches on long slopes. It is important to be aware of any skiers travelling below you on slopes where wet loose avalanches can gain momentum and size as they run downhill.

  If the sun comes out in earnest today, we could start to see larger natural wet avalanches on solar aspects. Temperatures have been creeping up over the past week, and it feels like we are nearing a tipping point towards transitioning to proper spring conditions. Wet avalanche conditions become more dangerous later in the day when temperatures are warmest, and the sun has had time to melt the surface snow. To manage this hazard, you can always move to a shadier aspect and stay at upper elevations where temperatures are colder to reduce your exposure to wet snow problems.