Avalanche forecast

Seward and Lost Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The Seward area is continuing to see northwest outflow winds, with more widespread and stronger winds expected today. There isn't much soft snow left to be blown around, but small wind slab avalanches around 1' deep may be forming on leeward slopes. Other than the potential for fresh wind slabs, the snowpack is generally stable in the Seward area.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: There was a small skier-triggered wind slab avalanche at 1400' on Mt Eva on Tuesday. The avalanche was about 1’ deep, up to 100 wide.

    Northwest winds are expected to ramp up slightly today, with averages of 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. The Seward and Lost Lake area has been getting the lion's share of these outflow winds the past 10 days, and little soft snow is left to be transported into fresh wind slabs. We expect fresh wind slabs to be small, given the lack of snow available for transport. You can identify locations with fresh wind slabs by looking for snow being blown along ridelines onto leeward slopes, looking for shooting cracks on the snow surface, or using test slopes to check how reactive wind drifts are to the weight of a skier or rider. 

    If you are travelling in steep terrain, it is always a good idea to use safe travel protocols to manage the exposure of your group. We recommend travelling one at a time in steep terrain, spotting your partners, and grouping up in safe zones to help reduce your risk if you do find a pocket of wind-loaded terrain. 

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