Avalanche forecast

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
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Highlights

With strong east to northeast winds blowing through the day yesterday, wind slabs that could be 1 to 2' deep are the main concern today. These "pillows" of windblown snow can be found below ridgelines and in cross loaded gullies. The size of the avalanches today could take us for a ride to a place we don't want to go, so watch for hazards like rocks and cliffs that we might get pushed into if we get surprised. Glide avalanches are still a concern. It is difficult to avoid traveling underneath glide cracks in Turnagain Pass these days so we recommend a safe travel plan that includes moving quickly and one at a time.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Finally, a rare, mostly sunny and calm day is in store today! The winds subsided last night and while natural avalanches are unlikely, we think there's a good chance a person could trigger a wind slab today especially in the upper elevations. We might even find one of these slabs in the mid elevations where "pillows" of windblown snow could be sitting on a slick crust. 

    Luckily, this is one of the easier problems to identify. Feel for firm snow over softer snow. Jumping on a small wind loaded test slope is a good way to see if the weight of a person will trigger a small avalanche or a shooting crack, which are signs that the snowpack needs time to adjust. Wind slabs tend to get more stubborn as they get older so that is something to keep in mind especially if you are getting into bigger terrain today. They might let you get way out onto the slab before releasing.

    Persistent Slabs: A group felt and heard a whumpf at 3,900' in Goldpan on Saturday. Check our their observation here. There could be pockets of this weak layer in the upper elevations that could cause a large avalanche (the layer was buried 2' deep), but we don't think this issue is widespread. 

    (12/17/2024)

    A shooting crack is a sign of unstable snow. This photo was taken yesterday on Tenderfoot in the Summit Lake area.

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

  • Glide Cracks

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

    The last glide avalanche in the Turnagain Pass area was reported on Saturday. Unfortunately, we are still pretty concerned about this problem and fresh snow from the last storm is covering the brown ground that is the telltale sign of a glide crack. Safe travel protocols like traveling one at a time and moving quickly underneath these cracks, if you can't avoid them, will help keep us from being caught in one of these unpredictable avalanches. 

    (12/15/2024)

    If you zoom in you can see the glide cracks all over Magnum. 

    Photo: Michael Kerst

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