Bulletin d’avalanche

Maritime

Valdez Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
1 · Faible
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 3 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

The avalanche hazard is moderate above 3000 feet.  Human triggered avalanches are possible less than 1 foot in depth on slopes that have been recently loaded by wind. Natural avalanches are unlikely.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–1.5

    The latest storms effects largely stayed to our west with only a few inches of accumulation for our forecast area.  Winds were observed to be moderate to strong over the last 24 hours at upper elevations.  Today it will be possible to encounter shallow wind slabs in specific locations that have formed over the last 24 hours.  Winds shifted from northerly to southerly yesterday, shallow wind slabs could exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations.

    New wind slabs may be deposited on a layer of faceted (weak) snow that formed during last weeks' clear and cold.  This weak snow will make even shallow slabs more sensitive than they typically would be.  The most likely place to find this problem will be at upper elevations on the lee side of ridges or in cross loaded terrain.  Watch for signs of instability such as shooting cracks and collapsing that would indicate unstable snow.

    In areas that have received more than 8 inches of snow in the last 24 hours the hazard will be higher. In areas were the snow surface is unaffected by recent wind and accumulations were minimal, the avalanche hazard will be low.

    (1/2/2024)

    Surface Hoar and near surface facets from RFS at ~3000' 1/2

    Photo: Gareth Brown

  • Glide Cracks

    • Toutes altitudes
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    2.5–3

    Be aware that several glide cracks exist in our forecast area with a couple full depth releases occurring in the last week.  Most of these exist in the Maritime zone on southerly aspects of town mountain and Mile high at mid elevation.   A few others have been noted, although they appear to be concentrated in the zone mentioned above.  Glide avalanches are a strannge beast that act differntly than other avalanche problems.  Full depth failure can occur independent of snowpack stability.  Or in other words, they can release even when a stable snowpack is in place.

    Since it is not possible to time their sensitivity the only way to mitigate this hazard is by avoidance.  First identify where glide cracks exist and avoid spending time beneath them.  Glide cracks are easy to identify.  They look like crevasses, but exist in non glaciated terrain.

    These do not produce small avalanches,  but rather failure will include the entire snowpack.  

    Glide release on Town mountain

    Photo: Rich Lofton

Avalanche Discussion

Over the last month our area has developed a stable snowpack without the presence of persistent weak layers that could be affected by a person or machine.  Any instabilities that are present, will currently exist at the surface.  Our area has not received significant snowfall in 10 days allowing the snowpack to settle.

Instabilities may still be present at upper elevations were recent wind slabs may have formed.  Pay attention to new snowfall amouts and the winds affect on the surface of the snow.  Keep in mid that even small avalanches can have big cosequences in extreme terrain or above terrain traps.

Glide cracks are opening up and have released lately in the Maritime zone.  Avoid traveling beneath glide cracks.  See the Maritime section for more information.

Valdez season snowfall: 144 inches

Valdez January snowfall: 0 inches

Valdez height of snowpack: 53 inches

Thompson Pass snowfall data is currently unavalable

46 mile height of snowpack: 68 inches

Régions couvertes