Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast
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Today the avalanche danger will be MODERATE at elevations above 1000’ in wind exposed terrain. As snow falls and winds increase, human triggered wind slabs will be possible near ridges, on wind-loaded slopes and in cross-loaded gullies. Pay attention to changing conditions and look for signs of instability. Give cornices a wide berth, avoid spending time under glide cracks and watch your sluff.
The avalanche danger is LOW below 1000’.
Signal Word | Size (D scale) | Simple Descriptor |
Small | 1 | Unlikely to bury a person |
Large | 2 | Can bury a person |
Very Large | 3 | Can destroy a house |
Historic | 4 & 5 | Can destroy part or all of a village |
After a few very pleasant days of benign weather and easy travel, the next storm system is moving into the region. While lingering old winds slabs in steep terrain have been the primary concern, as winds increase and light snow falls, newly formed ones will become the problem today. There is settled soft snow available for wind transport as well and there is weak surface snow that the new snow will likely not bond to. Surface hoar and near surface facets have been observed from valley bottoms to ridgetops and in some locations rest on top of hard surfaces like wind crusts and melt-freeze crusts. This set-up has the potential to be very sensitive with a new wind slab on top. It will be important to pay attention to changing conditions. Watch for blowing snow, look for signs of recent wind-loading and signs of instability like cracking from your skis, board or snowmachine. The storm is forecast to ramp up this evening into tomorrow. Expect the avalanche danger to increase overnight.
Loose snow avalanches (sluffs): Observers have been reporting sluffing as they have been accessing steeper terrain during these past few days. These sluffs have been increasing in size and moving faster as the surface snow has become more faceted and less cohesive. Light snow today will add more volume. If you are in steep wind protected terrain remember these can be dangerous if they take you off your feet or push you over a cliff, into trees or other terrain trap.
Cornices: If you are traveling along ridgelines, be sure to keep plenty of distance from the edge of the large cornices that have developed throughout the area. These things have a nasty tendency to break much further back than one would expect, and could fail under the weight of a snowmachine or a skier. ***There have been reports of cornice crevasses opening up. These are another hazard to watch out for as you travel near corniced ridges.
Surface hoar and near surface facets over a melt-freeze crust, 1.27.21. Once buried this weak surface snow will likely become our new layer of concern.
Glide cracks are appearing throughout the forecast area and there have been glide avalanches occurring in the past few days. With these becoming a hazard in terrain where people are skiing and snowmachining, remember it is important to limit time spent underneath glide cracks. Glide avalanches are totally unpredictable, not triggered by people and are the entire snowpack sliding at the ground. This type of avalanche could be large and unsurvivable if you happened to be in wrong place when one releases. If you see recent glide activity please let us know.
Yesterday: Skies were mostly cloudy with temperatures in teens and low 20°Fs. Winds were light and easterly increasing in the late afternoon. Overnight skies were cloudy with light snow showers (to sea level) starting around midnight. Temperatures were in the teens to high 20°Fs, rising at lower elevations and falling at upper elevations. Winds were easterly 5-15 mph with gusts into the 20s.
Today: Skies will be cloudy with snow likely, 1-6″ to sea level. Temperatures will be in the 20°Fs and winds will be easterly 15-20 mph with gusts into the 30s and 40s. Overnight snow continues with an additional 5-10″ in the forecast. Temperatures remain in the 20°Fs and winds stay easterly 5-15 mph with gusts into the 30s and 40s.
Tomorrow: Snow continues but the track of the storm is still a bit uncertain making snow totals a bit of question mark. Winds will decrease and shift to the north and temperatures stay in the 20°Fs.
PRECIPITATION 24-hour data (6am – 6am)
Temp Avg (F) | Snow (in) | Water (in) | Snow Depth (in) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Center Ridge (1880′) | 19 | 0 | 0 | 125 |
Summit Lake (1400′) | 12 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
Alyeska Mid (1700′) | 20 | 1.5 | 0.08 | 109 |
RIDGETOP 24-hour data (6am – 6am)
Temp Avg (F) | Wind Dir | Wind Avg (mph) | Wind Gust (mph) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sunburst (3812′) | 14 | E | 7 | 29 |
Seattle Ridge (2400′) | 16 | E | 9 | 20 |
Date | Region | Location | Observer |
---|---|---|---|
01/31/23 | Turnagain | Observation: Johnson Pass area | Megan Guinn / W Wagner Forecaster |
01/29/23 | Turnagain | Observation: Tincan Backdoor | AAS-Level 1 1/27-1/30 |
01/28/23 | Turnagain | Observation: Sunburst | Brooke Edwards |
01/28/23 | Turnagain | Avalanche: Seattle Ridge | W Wagner |
01/28/23 | Turnagain | Observation: Tincan Common | Tony Naciuk |
01/27/23 | Turnagain | Observation: Sunburst | John Sykes |
01/27/23 | Turnagain | Avalanche: Lynx Creek | Megan Guinn / W Wagner |
01/25/23 | Turnagain | Observation: Cornbiscuit | John Sykes Forecaster |
01/22/23 | Turnagain | Avalanche: Tincan | Schauer/ Guinn |
01/21/23 | Turnagain | Avalanche: Seattle Ridge | Elias Holt |
Status of riding areas across the Chugach NF is managed by the Glacier and Seward Ranger Districts, not avalanche center staff. Riding area information is posted as a public service to our users and updated based on snow depth and snow density to prevent resource damage at trailhead locations. Riding area questions contact: mailroom_r10_chugach@fs.fed.us
Area | Status | Weather & Riding Conditions |
---|---|---|
Glacier District |
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This is a general backcountry avalanche advisory issued for Turnagain Arm with Turnagain Pass as the core advisory area. This advisory does not apply to highways, railroads or operating ski areas.