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 and low below.   Triggering a recently formed wind slab  1-2 feet deep remains a possibility, although the likelihood has significantly decreased.  Natural avalanches are unlikely.

 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    1.5–2.5

    Moderate to strong north wind will continue today with dangerous wind chill values.  The winds affect on the snow is expected to be limited as significant stripping and redistribution of the snow surface has already occurred and there is no longer any loose snow available for transport.    Some high elevation ridges may continue to see snow transport although this is expected to be minimal.

    Wind slabs were observed to be knife hard and unreactive on 1/19.  The strength of the recent wind storm that began on 1/17 has left many areas stripped down to old snow surfaces including the Christmas rain crust below 2500'.  Facets may exist beneath wind deposits in some areas, although the hardness of wind slabs that do exist make affecting them unlikely.  

    The persistent wind slab avalanche problem we have is a low probability high consequence situation.  If a person were to initiate one of these wind slabs it would be a hard slab that would likely cause injury or worse.  You can lower your exposure to these by staying on windward slopes that are stripped down to older surfaces.  Wind slabs will have a hollow drum like feel.  Signs of instability will likely no longer be present but if they are, realize that unstable snow remains.  

    (1/19/2024)

    Wind damaged snow surfaces from 1/19

    Photo: Gareth Brown

  • Glide Cracks

    • Toutes altitudes
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    2.5–3

     Glide avalanches are a strange 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

Triggering a persistent wind slab avalanche 1-2 feet in depth is unlikely today, but would carry high consequences due to the density of the slab it would involve.  With little change in the weather expected, similar conditions will likely continue in our forecast area through the weekend and potentially next week.  

Glide cracks have been observed in all three forecast zones.  Avoid travelling beneath these as full depth avalanches can release unexpectedly.

Valdez season snowfall: 170 inches

Valdez January snowfall: 26 inches

Valdez height of snowpack: 62 inches

Thompson Pass snowfall data is currently unavailable

46 mile height of snowpack: 66 inches

Régions couvertes