Avalanche forecast

Continental

Valdez Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche hazard is moderate at all elevations.  Human triggered avalanche are possible 1-3 feet in depth.  Instabilities may exist in steep terrain and on specific terrain features that have been loaded by recent wind.  Watch for signs of instability such as shooting cracks and collapsing.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

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

    Our area continues to receive snowfall.  Accumulations have been light over the last 24 hours allowing stress to decrease a bit in the upper snowpack.  The main concern today will be slopes that have been loaded by recent wind, creating deeper storm slabs 1-3 feet in depth that will be more sensitive to human triggers in specific locations.  Wind direction has been primarily out of the east-southeast over the last few days, although with multiple system rolling through the early part of the week, shifting wind directions will have likely loaded a variety of aspects.  Pay attention to wind reditribution patterns in the area you choose to travel.  Test small inconsequential slopes steeper than 30°  to get an idea of how sensitive wind loaded pockets are.

    With multiple rounds of snowfall occurring, it is possible that instabilities exist within the new snow in steep terrain.  Convex features will be the most suspect.

    Wind loaded slopes will often have a pillowed look and may have rippled texture on the surface.  Stiffer snow over soft is a sign of wind loading.  Shooting cracks are a sign that instability exists.

    2-4 inches of additional snowfall with light to moderate winds will add weight to storm slabs but is not expected to drastically stability.

Avalanche Discussion

Since the last major storm cycle 12/11-12 snowfall has continued to accumulate at a light to moderate pace with temperatures slowly descending over the last 72 hours.  There is currently a lot of snow available for transport, allowing for deeper wind loaded pockets to form in areas exposed to wind .  The main concern for today will be these wind loaded areas. exposed to moderate east-southeast winds.

Near continous snowfall over the last few weeks has allowed our snowpack to steadily build.  A lack of clear weather windows has prevented persistent weak layers the oppurtunity to form in the upper snowpack.  The exception to this is the far northern part of our forecast zone where some short periods of clear and cold have occurred, although meaningful facet development has not yet been observed.

Our snowpack is developing well with no major structural issues expected.  Hazard at this point will move in conjunction with snowfall rates and storm totals.  Near continuous snowfall has limited the ability to get a lot of information from upper elevations.  Spend the time to evaluate the snowpack in the area you travel and realize that varying snowfall and wind amounts will lead to spatial variability.  Don't assume that if you find stable snow in one area it will exist everywhere, and vice versa.

Regions covered