Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Problemi valanghivi

• 

  Deep Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta quota
  • Limite del bosco
  • Sotto il limite del bosco

  Probabilità

  Unlikely

  Dimensione

  2–3

  Recent Avalanches: The most recent storm system resulted in a widespread natural avalanche cycle, with multiple wet slab avalanches in the middle elevations (1500-2000'), and a few larger avalanches in the alpine (see a few photos from the Virgin Creek drainage as an example).

  The weak layer of faceted snow that we have been tracking for weeks is slowly continuing to improve, but it is still a concern in specific terrain. The layer may still produce a very large avalanche failing 3 to 6' deep at higher elevations, where the surface crust is not supportable or where the snow surface has remained dry through the past week of warm and wet weather. 

  We're in a period of status quo with the deep slab problem. It has slowly become more stubborn to trigger, but given the potential size of the avalanches it may produce, we're still approaching steep terrain carefully. We are avoiding any steep slopes with terrain traps like gullies, depressions, cliffs, rocks, or trees in the runout zones. We are also waiting on any terrain with big, connected start zones where a fracture could propagate a long distance and create an unsurvivable avalanche.

  The feedback is sparse and the consequences are high. This type of problem takes patience, but it is trending in the right direction in Turnagain Pass and Girdwood.

  Wind Slabs: There is a small chance you may encounter isolated pockets of unstable wind-drifted snow above 2500'. The winds have been light since yesterday morning, so these should be healing, but they are still important to assess as you travel. Expect to find them in steep, upper elevation terrain near ridgelines, convex rolls, and in loaded gullies.