Bulletin d’avalanche

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

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

Points saillants

The biggest concern is triggering an avalanche a foot deep on a layer of buried weak snow above 1500'. These could be larger on wind loaded slopes and where more snow fell. They could also be triggered remotely. With such a tricky situation it may be easier to ride lower angle slopes instead of trying to tiptoe around the problem.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Free avalanche outreach events next week on the Kenai Peninsula!

  • Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Kenai River Brewery in Soldotna from 6:00 to 7:00 pm - Join forecaster Daniel Krueger to talk about the state of the snowpacks and useful backcountry tips and tricks. More info here.
  • Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Breeze Inn Hotel in Seward from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Join forecaster Mik Dalpes to talk about the state of the snowpacks, mapping resources, and how to interpret stability tests. More info here.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: On Saturday several human triggered avalanches 6 to 12” deep were reported on Seattle Ridge either remotely triggered or triggered by a cornice fall. There was also a cornice triggered avalanche on Magnum ridge. Luckily no one was caught. 

    Above 1500’ avalanches up to a foot deep on buried weak snow will be the biggest concern today. We had several human triggered avalanches over the weekend that failed on a layer of surface hoar and facets. This is telling us that these layers are still reactive and can be easier to trigger than expected especially if they are under a wind slab. So where does this problem exist? Thanks to several observations we have seen these layers throughout Turnagain Pass and Seattle Ridge. It will take careful snowpack assessment to identify if the slope you intend to ride is harboring these weak layers. Traveling hand pits and attempting to trigger small test slopes can tell you if the layer exists and if it can avalanche. Whumpfing and shooting cracks beneath you are clues that the snow is capable of sliding. These avalanches can be triggered remotely from below, the side, and on slopes adjacent to you. With such a tricky situation it may be easier to ride lower angle slopes instead of trying to tiptoe around the problem. 

    Cornices: For a variety of reasons cornices have been falling and triggering avalanches. They are quite large from strong winds and the sun is weakening them. Watch out for cornices above you if you are traveling under them as well as on ridges where they could break further back than anticipated.

    Glide Avalanches: We are still seeing glide cracks opening and occasionally releasing. Keep your head up if they are on slopes above you and try to avoid spending time under them.

Régions couvertes