Avalanche forecast

Seward and Lost Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Strong northwesterly winds will blow whatever soft snow is left into a fresh round of reactive wind slabs, likely 6 to 12" deep. These will be most likely at and above treeline, near ridgelines, convex rolls, and in steep gullies. A stubborn deeper weak layer, buried 2 to 6' deep on average, remains a concern in all terrain above 2500'. Although the chances of triggering an avalanche on that weak layer are small, the potential size of those avalanches is enough reason to consider avoiding consequential terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: The last known avalanche in the Seward/Lost Lake area was a small snowmachine-triggered wind slab on Friday.

    Strong northerly winds have been at work trying to find snow to move around since late yesterday afternoon. Although last week's winds have already stripped most of the soft snow from the surface, this round will likely still be able to blow some snow into small but reactive wind slabs, up to 6 to 12" deep. Some weather models are actually showing the highest winds in the middle elevation bands, which means this is something to pay attention to even before you get up into the alpine.

    The most likely place to find this problem will be in steep terrain near ridgelines, convex rolls, and in steep gullies. After a week of windy conditions, it will be hard to recognize which slopes have been freshly loaded. Any warning signs like shooting cracks or collapsing are clear indicators of unstable snow, but these will not always show up before triggering an avalanche. Look for better surface conditions and a more stable snowpack in terrain with soft snow on the surface that has somehow dodged the wind over the past week.

    (2/23/2026)

    Aftermath of last weeks north wind events on Mt. Marathon in Seward

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    Not much has changed with the deep, stubborn layer of faceted snow that is buried 2 to 6' deep on average in the Seward zone. It has been several weeks since we last saw an avalanche on this layer, but we are still finding a poor structure when we're digging down to look at it (details here). At this point, it is unlikely you will trigger an avalanche on this layer until we see a major loading event. However, the potential size of an avalanche and the continued poor structure that we are finding is enough to keep us out of consequential terrain for now.

     

Regions covered