Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast
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Colder temperatures at all elevations are freezing the snowpack surface into a hard supportable crust. The crust is adding a component to the snowpack that we haven’t seen in a couple weeks – strength.
Underneath the crust, especially below 3,000 feet and in areas where the total depth is shallow, there is still a lot of very weak moist snow. We still must acknowledge the possibility of avalanches being triggered on these weak layers. Just 2 days ago we saw explosives produce large avalanches.
The danger rating is MODERATE for the possibility of human triggered slides that can break full depth. Trigger points will be much more likely in shallow points on the snowpack. The problem is affecting buried wet snow at low elevations and deep persistent weak layers at high elevations.
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We don’t have a lot of information about the high elevation deep slab because so few people have been traveling in the mountains over the last couple weeks. Yesterday on Seattle ridge we dug in a deeper area at 2900 feet and found 5 feet of mostly very strong snow on top of the old Nov/Dec persistent weak layers. (click on link for photos and pit profile) We could not get an extended column test to fail, but 2 compression tests revealed sudden collapse Q1 failures at the early December drizzle crust (CT24, CT21 Q1). The good news is that our recent wet storm has made some very strong snow – it’s difficult to cut through it with a sharp saw. I think it will be unlikely for a person to trigger the deep weak layers where the snowpack is in fact deep. It may be possible to trigger from shallow points where it could propagate to much deeper snow.
I’m still going to mention wet avalanches even though we now have a surface crust over everything. You have to dig through the crust to find the wet snow.
If someone were to trigger an avalanche below 3,000 feet, it will have some characteristics of a wet slab. Think about heavy, slow moving, bulldozer-like avalanches.
We dug a shallow pit just off the slope from the standard snowmachine up-track to Seattle ridge yesterday. Underneath the 4 inch think supportable crust is unbelievable weak, moist snow. Skis glide over the crust with no penetration, but trying to walk on it will sometimes punch a boot through the crust, which then drops through to the ground. It’s a very abnormal setup, and I’m honestly not sure how to measure its stability.
As more of the snowpack freezes up with the colder temperatures, strength will increase quickly and the possibility of triggering more avalanches in the wet snow will decrease dramatically.
Sunny breaks over the last few days will continue today. Southcentral Alaska is dominated by a blocking high pressure that is currently keeping clouds and storm from the west from entering our airspace. The big weather change that is affecting our snowpack is a drop in temperature. Ridgetop stations have been reading below freezing for over 48 hours. Lower elevation sites are now also freezing up. Wind is light and variable today.
Looking into the weekend – high pressure is expected to be the dominating feature for our region. Mostly clear skies are forecasted, with valley fog in some areas.
Graphs show the temperature profile at Center Ridge (1880 ft) and Sunburst (3812 ft). Blue line is 32 degrees (freezing).
Date | Region | Location | Observer |
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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 |
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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.