Bollettino valanghe

Turnagain Pass and Girdwood

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

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Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
2 · Moderato
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In sintesi

Despite quiet weather, there are still chances a person could trigger an avalanche up to 3' deep above 1,500'. This is more likely to occur on aspects that are not as affected by the sun (west, north, and east). Watch for roller balls to know wet avalanches could be a problem. The snowpack is highly variable with regard to aspect and elevation right now, so it is important to assess the slopes you intend to ride. Choosing low angle slopes is always a safe option. Girdwood and Portage received quite a bit more snow above 2,000' than Turnagain Pass since Wednesday so those areas remain more dangerous today.

MONDAY AVALANCHE OUTLOOK: A storm is arriving this evening favoring Portage and Seward. It will be accompanied by strong southeast wind so avalanche conditions will become more dangerous on Monday, especially in places that receive more new snow and rain. The safest option is to avoid avalanche terrain during periods of loading with new snow and wind. 

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Forecast Operations: We have transitioned to our late season forecasting schedule, issuing forecasts Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Our last forecast will be Thursday, April 30th followed by our annual "Spring Tips" on May 1st. 

Hiking on trails below avalanche paths this time of year is dangerous and not recommended.  Avalanches may release into valley bottoms, covering up summer hiking trails. This includes the Byron Glacier Trail and the Trail of Blue Ice in Portage Valley and the Crow Pass Trail in Girdwood Valley. Remember that as long as there are snowy mountains above you, avalanches can come down to snow-free hiking trails.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–2.5

    Recent Avalanches: A very large natural avalanche occurred in Portage last night around 10pm.There was a small slab avalanche noticed on the northwest shoulder of Magnum on Thursday. It has been 5 days since a skier triggered a large avalanche on the north side of Tincan near Todd's Run in steep rocky terrain. 

    There are several layers of weak snow buried up to 3' deep that are still capable of being triggered by a person. These layers are in the stage where they may not give any feedback and it could be the 3rd or 10th person that triggers the slope.

    With the possibility of serious consequences and high uncertainty, terrain choice is the way to manage this situation. Choose simple terrain that fans out at the bottom. Avoid complicated terrain that has rocks, trees or gullies below. 

    Wind Slab: Winds look lighter today in Turnagain than in Summit Lake and Seward at 10 to 15 mph from the southeast, but watch for blowing snow to know fresh wind slabs are forming. They can be found just below the higher ridgelines, on steep rolls and in cross-loaded gullies. This problem is located in the same place as the more dangerous problem described above. A small Wind Slab may trigger a much larger avalanche.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–2.5

    Several large wet loose avalanches were reported yesterday across our forecast areas. Once this type of avalanche becomes large it can be hard to escape. These avalanches are difficult to predict, but the things to pay attention to include:

    •  Is there a crust on the surface and is it supportable? This is a good sign, but this can change quickly if the snow is warming so continue to check through the day. If you start to sink up to your shin in wet snow (snow that you can squeeze water out of and makes your glove wet) it's time to stay off of steep slopes.
    • Are there roller balls or other recent Loose Avalanches around and does the debris look wet? (looks more blue and firm than dry debris) If so, wet avalanches are becoming a concern. There is a window of time where it is still safe to ride these slopes, but once the crust breaks down completely conditions become dangerous and chances of being caught in a Wet Slab avalanche go up.

    (4/25/2026)

    Pinwheels on the front side of Seattle Ridge Saturday morning. These are the precursor to Wet Loose and Wet Slab avalanches.

    Photo: Andrew Schauer

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