Turnagain Pass

Today’s message is simple. Stay out of the mountains and avoid all avalanche terrain. Over the last 24 hours Turnagain pass has received 30 inches of new snow (2.4 inches SWE.) Alyeska mid way station in Girdwood has seen 19 inches. We expect similar if not more snow in the upper elevations of Portage Valley and the mountain surrounding Seward. Strong Easterly winds 40-60 mph occurred overnight and today’s winds will remain strong, 25-45 mph throughout the day. Another 6-12 inches of new snow is expected and another storm is on the horizon tomorrow, Friday. This afternoon winds will shift to the South bringing in warmer air and rain/snow line may increase to 1500 ft.

In the upper elevations expect large to very large dry avalanches to release naturally. Slab avalanches are expected to be 2-5+ feet deep and run long distances. In the lower elevations below 1000 ft, where rain is falling, wet avalanches are expected. The only way to manage this avalanche hazard is to stay well away from any avalanche terrain, slopes steeper than 30 degree and all runout zones. This includes giving Seattle Ridge plenty of space in the flats, as well avoiding any trails that go under avalanche terrain where it may be raining, like Bryon Glacier trail or the Bird to Gird Bike Path.

An active weather pattern will continue for Eastern Turnagain Arm tomorrow and into the weekend with several more storms headed this direction. The avalanche danger is expected to remain HIGH until this pattern changes and precipitation and winds back off.

South of Turnagain in Summit Lake where a variety of old weak layers (facets and buried surface hoar) sit in the mid and base of the snowpack, today’s rapid loading event is expected to cause natural avalanches. Although less snow has fallen than Turnagain, 1-2 feet of new snow is enough to tip the balance, not to mention strong winds. Expect natural avalanche activity throughout our entire Eastern Kenai Mountain region all the way to Seward.

Turnagain Pass DOT snow stake at the RWIS weather station (1000 ft) is showing over 3 feet of new since 3/12/19 at 9:30pm when this storm began. 

Photo taken yesterday in the Tincan trees with only 8″ of new snow. Small steep terrain features were releasing easily with the weight of a skier. This snow is releasing on a very slick melt freeze crust below 2500 ft. Now there is 3-4 feet of snow on this same bed surface. Small terrain features could be very dangerous today, even in places we often think of as safe, like Tincan trees. Photo by Andy Moterow.