Mon, March 24, 2014 Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast

Mon, March 24th, 2014

Alpine
Above 2,500'

Low (1)

Treeline
1,000'-2,500'

Low (1)

Below Treeline
Below 1,000'

Low (1)

Alpine Above 2,500'		Low (1)
Treeline 1,000'-2,500'		Low (1)
Below Treeline Below 1,000'		Low (1)

Danger Scale:

No Rating (0)

Low (1)

Moderate (2)

Considerable (3)

High (4)

Extreme (5)

Avalanche Problem 1

Normal Caution

Normal Caution

Normal Caution means triggering an avalanche is unlikely but not impossible.

More info at Avalanche.org

The middle part of March brought a series of loading events, dropping 3-5 feet of snow in many locations. Since that time the snowpack has settled, weak layers have adjusted to new loads, and mild weather have all contributed to stabilizing the snowpack. Despite this, it is still remotely possible to encounter the following:

Wet Loose avalanches
Very steep sunlit terrain and steep slopes in the lower elevations hold the potential for low volume point releases.

Cornices
Give cornices a wide berth. Stay off of them by knowing where they connect to underlying terrain. Minimize your time below them as well.

Old Wind Slabs
Winds that kicked up 4 days ago created shallow wind slabs up to a foot deep in the higher elevations. These slabs have been mostly unreactive with one reported exception.

Deep Slabs
Weak layers of snow buried 2-5 feet deep exist. The deep slab problem is in a dormant phase but is worth remembering for now. It would take a very large trigger (large group of snowmachines or people) to wake up these layers. Thin spots of the snowpack in very steep terrain would be the most likely place for an outlier event like this to occur.

Keep in mind that LOW danger does not mean NO danger. Continuing to utilize good travel habits will afford the ability to minimize exposure to these exceptions to the current snowpack norms.

Weather

Mon, March 24th, 2014

It has now been 10 days since any significant precipitation has fallen. Temperatures over the past 24 hours at the Sunburst station (3,812′) have averaged 26 degrees F. Winds there have been very light, averaging 5 mph out of the East with a max gust of 12 mph.

Today will be much like yesterday; sunny and mild with calm winds. Temperatures at 1,000′ will climb into the high 30s F. Winds will be out of the East at 5-10mph.

A very large ridge of high pressure is dominating the weather across most of Alaska. This ridge is preventing any and all moisture from pushing into the region. This pattern is now well established and looks to remain that way through most of the week.

Observations

Recent Observations for Turnagain Pass

Date	Region	Location	Observer
11/26/22	Turnagain	Observation: Eddies	Schauer/ Cullen Forecaster
11/26/22	Turnagain	Observation: Eddies	Andy Moderow
11/25/22	Turnagain	Observation: Sunburst	Hannah Smith
11/25/22	Turnagain	Observation: Sunnyside / Seattle Ridge	Matti Silta
11/25/22	Turnagain	Observation: Sunburst	John Sykes
11/25/22	Turnagain	Observation: Tincan Trees	Andy Moderow
11/25/22	Turnagain	Observation: Tincan	Galen Hecht
11/25/22	Turnagain	Observation: Top of Seattle Ridge uptrack	Nick Crews
11/24/22	Turnagain	Avalanche: Sunnyside/Main Bowl	Andy Moderow
11/23/22	Turnagain	Avalanche: Seattle Ridge	John Sykes Forecaster

Riding Areas

Updated Sat, November 26th, 2022

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
Johnson Pass	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Placer River	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Skookum Drainage	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Turnagain Pass	Closed	The Forest has issued a closure order for Turnagain Pass due to inadequate snow cover for resource protection. Conditions will be monitored daily. Between 16-20” of snow exists at the parking lot. The scheduled opening would have been the Wednesday before Thanksgiving per Forest Plan.
Twentymile	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Seward District
Carter Lake	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Lost Lake Trail	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Primrose Trail	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Resurrection Pass Trail	Closed	Closed to motorized use for the 2022/23 winter season per Forest Plan. Open next season.
Snug Harbor	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
South Fork Snow River Corridor	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.
Summit Lake	Closed	Scheduled opening Dec 1st per Forest Plan, contingent upon adequate snow depth for forest resource protection.