Hazard is considerable today as precipitation continues, temperatures rise, and winds increase. Over the past couple of days we have received significant new snow, creating a large and reactive storm slab problem. This storm arrived upside-down, beginning with colder, lighter snow and finishing with warmer, denser snow. Natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered avalanches are likely. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route finding and conservative decision making are essential.
We have been in a very active weather pattern with a series of storms starting on 2/23. With winds varying from ESE to northerlies, snow amounts vary across the island. Shooting cracks, collapsing, natural slides, and skier-triggered slides have been reported over the last couple of days.
With moderate to strong ESE winds, wind slabs may form where winds drift recent snow into deeper deposits. Look for smooth, rounded pillows of snow, hollow or drum-like sounds, and signs of instability such as shooting cracks or collapsing.
Precipitation has been falling since 2/23/26. A significant amount of snowfall has accumulated with varied wind speeds and directions. An event to note is the freezing rain that fell on 2/28. This created a freezing rain crust which has proved to be a problamatic weak layer. A pit dug in Moller Bowl on 3/2 showed reactive results with ECTP8 and CT2 Q1 both failing just under the 2/28 freezing rain crust. Pit results from the mainland proved the reactivity of the 2/28 layer to be widespread. An active natural avalanche cycle was observed on 3/3/26 with multiple slides observed, or detected on the CBJ radar system, on Mt. Juneau and Roberts, and Thane Road had an emergency closure. Skinners at Eaglecrest, which was closed 3/2 and 3/3, reported natural storm slabs.
Winds are forecasted to increase today and are currently ESE, blowing in the 30's and 40's. Temperatures have been rising and will potentially reach above freezing by this afternoon at our mid elevation levels. Warmest temperatures are expected tomorrow, with freezing levels expected to rise to around 1,500–2,000 ft in elevation. Temperatures are expected to cool early next week and precipitation turns back into snow. With a rain-on-snow event possible this afternoon into tomorrow, the hazard is expected to remain elevated as heavy, wet snow loads the already upside-down snowpack. This has the potential to bring wet slabs and wet loose avalanches into our problems list.
