Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast

Cloudy skies are forecast for today with a chance of 1-2″ of snow accumulation in the upper elevations by late afternoon.  The temperatures are expected in the 20’s to low 30’s °F with light to moderate ridgetop winds from the southeast reaching toward 28mph.

With cloud cover expected today, direct sunlight may play less of a driving factor in our surface instabilities.  With that said, clouds could create a greenhouse effect unless the winds verify.  Regardless, as our ambient air temperatures hover in the 20’s °F throughout most of the advisory area, the surface of the snowpack could move closer to weakening the crusts and create loose wet avalanches.

In areas with a thinner snowpack, including the southern edge of the forecast zone and Summit lake, weak snow remains buried 1-2′ below the surface. This remains a concern and extra caution is advised for triggering a dry slab avalanche.

Cornices: As usual, it’s prudent to give cornices a wide berth and limit your time beneath them.

Glide cracks: Avoid travel below these unpredictable frown looking features.

Loose dry snow:  Loose dry snow still exists in many areas, especially on northerly wind protected aspects.  On steep slopes where this is the case, sluff could be easy for a human to initiate and could move down slope with enough volume to take a person off their feet or machine.

Wind slabs:  Small wind slabs could form today with new snow and winds reaching into the 20’s mph.  These could be touchy to human trigger if they fell on the recently formed surface hoar which was likely preserved on northerly and windward aspects.

2-12mm surface hoar found on windward and shaded aspects of Max’s.  Based on relative humidity, it’s suspected this may be found throughout the advisory area on similar aspects.  3.15.20. Photo: CNFAIC archive.