Bulletin d’avalanche

Maritime

Valdez Avalanche Center
Voir sur la carte

Danger d’avalanche

Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
1 · Faible
Sous la limite
Sans niveau
Open full map
Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 8 months ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

The avalanche hazard is Moderate at upper elevations and low at mid and lower elevations.  With storng northerly outflow winds overnight there remains a chance that a person could trigger a wind slab avalanche near upper elevation ridgelines up to 1 foot in depth.  It is unlikely to trigger an avalanche elsewhere. Natural avalanches are unlikely.

Avalanche Forecasts will be issued 3 days/week during December.  5-day/week forecasts will return in January once 2026 funding comes through.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–2

    Strong northerly outflow winds overnight and today could redistribute what little soft snow is still available for transport creating small isolated wind slabs at upper elevations. After weeks of strong north winds, nearly all of the soft snow has blown away and stripped to the ground in certain locations, leaving little to no snow available for redistribution. Older wind slabs have locked up and are unreactive, making them unlikely a person or machine could trigger them in the majority of locations. The hazard at upper elevations remains at Moderate due to the small chance of encountering a wind slab near upper elevation ridgelines and in steep terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

Avalanche activity in the last 72 hours:  None

Forecast Discussion:  

After nearly three weeks of strong, northerly outflow winds our snowpack has eroded, and been stripped to the ground in certain locations.  Cold temps are faceting the thin snowpack all the way to the ground. Faceting has not yet been observed to be significant in the intermountain zone and doesn't have a major effect on current stability, but will have the potential to be an issue in the future once snowfall returns and creates a load on this weak underlying snow.

The avalanche hazard is low for the majority of terrain in our forecast zone.  Old windslabs are hard and unreactive, making it unlikely a person or machine could trigger a wind slab avalanche.

Flagging can still be observed along high elevation ridgelines during times of wind speeds greater than 60 mph.  The snow that is being redistributed consists of a very thin layer of faceted snow that forms on wind hardened snow surfaces. This redistributed snow is mostly sublimated back into the air and is unlikely to form slabs of consequence.  The hazard has been left conservatively at Moderate at upper elevations, due to the small chance that newer, isolated wind slabs may exist on the lee side of steep, upper elevation ridgelines

If you go into the mountains today stay warm and enjoy the shortest day of the year. Happy Winter Solstice!

Additional Details:  There is no field data from the Maritime zone due to low snow coverage and thick brush restricting access.  Numerous Glide avalanches have released in the Maritime zone in the mid elevation band.  Some of these may have failed without previous visible glide cracks.  Avoid travel below glide cracks as they can fail at any time.  Their likelihood of failure is independent of the snowpack stability.  Check out the season summary tab for more information on the development of the snowpack.

 

Régions couvertes