Bollettino valanghe

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Sun
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2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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In sintesi

A weak system is bringing scattered showers and strong easterly winds to the area today. This will make it easier to trigger a wind slab avalanche up to a foot deep at upper elevations. We are also still expecting to  see some wet snow avalanche activity, especially at mid and lower elevations, and we're continuing to monitor a weak layer of surface hoar buried 4 to 6' deep.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Motorized Closures: The Chugach National Forest has closed all winter motorized use areas due to low snow coverage, except for the Turnagain Pass/Seattle Ridge area. Visit our Riding Areas page for more information. National Forest staff will continue to monitor snow coverage conditions to assess whether it  will be possible to extend the opening for the Turnagain Pass zone if low elevation snow coverage allows. Motorized access in the Whittier area will be open through April 28.

End of Season Operations: We will issue our final forecast of the season tomorrow, Sunday, April 27.  Thank you to everyone who helped us this season by sharing an observation, coming out for a field day, donating to our nonprofit partner the Friends of the Chugach Avalanche Center, or by simply reading the forecast. We can't tell you enough how much we appreciate all of the support from the community. Have a safe spring and summer, and we are excited to do it all again next season! We will continue publishing observations through the spring as you all submit them, so if you get out please take a few minutes to let everyone know what you're seeing by filling out an observation here.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–2

    Easterly winds are picking up today, making a fresh round of reactive wind slabs in the upper elevations. The size of these avalanches will be limited by the amount of soft snow on the ground available to be blown around, but the wind always seems to find a way to move some snow. These may get up to a foot deep in the alpine, and will be most likely just below ridgelines, convex rolls, and loaded gullies. Be on the lookout for warning signs of unstable snow like shooting cracks or fresh avalanche activity, and look for generally safer conditions on slopes that are protected from the wind.

    Cornices remain a concern, especially as strong winds continue to add weight today. These may fail naturally, so it is important to limit spending time under them. They also have a tendency to break much further back from the ridge than we'd expect. If you are traveling along ridgelines be sure to give them plenty of space so you don't get caught by surprise.

    (4/26/2025)

    Predicted precipitation totals from 4am Saturday through 4am Sunday. This should fall as snow above 1500'.

    Photo: NWS-Anchorage

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    2–3

    Wet snow avalanches remain a major concern after another night of little or no refreeze and a chance for some rain showers at lower elevations today. Glide avalanches have been active in Girdwdood, Turnagain Pass, and Summit Lake for several weeks, and we expect that activity to continue today. Wet loose avalanches will also still be a concern, especially at lower elevations where the snow surface has not been freezing overnight. Finally, wet slab avalanches will also be possible. These are slightly less likely today with cloudy skies and only light showers expected.

    All of these concerns exist on all slopes except for the highest north-facing terrain. It is impossible to predict the exact timing of glide avalanches, so the way to manage them is to avoid spending time under ope glide cracks. For wet loose and wet slab avalanches, you can anticipate increasing danger by paying attention to how the snow surface is behaving. If you find yourself sinking up past your boot tops in wet, sloppy snow, it is time to get out of avalanche terrain. On the other hand, if snow surfaces are firm and supportable, conditions should be generally safe as far as wet snow avalanches are concerned. 

    (4/25/2025)

    Small wet slab avalanches on Seattle Ridge. 

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Unlikely
    Dimensione
    2–3

    We're still tracking the weak layer of surface hoar that was buried in mid-February and is now around 4 to 6' deep in Turnagain Pass. This layer has become very stubborn to trigger, but it is still intact and it is still worth keeping on your radar. As we continue our transition into spring, there is a very good chance that meltwater moving through the snowpack will 'wake up' this weak layer and make some large avalanches. There is also a small chance that a person could still trigger an avalanche on this layer- especially in upper elevations on slopes with a thinner snowpack where the layer might be easier to impact. 

    This layer has been very challenging to predict, and it has caught a lot of people by surprise. If you are trying to get into steeper terrain, it is still worth considering. Avoid slopes where the consequences of triggering an avalanche are made more severe by terrain traps like cliffs, trees, or gullies in the runout zone. You might also consider avoiding paths with large start zones where this layer could produce a very large avalanche. 

Regioni coperte