Sun, January 11, 2015 Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast

Sun, January 11th, 2015

Alpine
Above 2,500'

Low (1)

Treeline
1,000'-2,500'

Low (1)

Below Treeline
Below 1,000'

No Rating (0)

Alpine Above 2,500'		Low (1)
Treeline 1,000'-2,500'		Low (1)
Below Treeline Below 1,000'		No Rating (0)

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

I think the word is out that Turnagain Pass is not the place to find powder snow – this weekend anyhow… After a very warm storm rolled through Thursday saturating much of the snowpack up to 2,500′ and the surface layers up to 3,500′, the pack is slowly freezing from the top down. The rain wiped out much of the snow below 1,500′ and hiking is required from the parking lots at the Pass. Above 1,500′, the snowpack does get deeper quickly, but it’s the surface conditions that are the challenge. In short, the surface crust is mostly supportable, hard and slick. Beware that steep slopes have a slide-for-life character.

Where the crust ends and the soft snow begins is likely around 4,000′. If you are headed to these high elevations, assessing the snowpack is key. Keep your eye out for weak snow, such as buried surface hoar or facets, sitting under stiffer slabs. Finding a slab avalanche, most likely a wind slab, in these more remote and high elevations is possible.

For more details on snowpack and surface conditions, check out the several observations sent in yesterday from a level 2 avalanche course in the neighborhood. Thanks Alaska Avalanche School!

Avalanche Problem 2

Glide Avalanches

Glide Avalanches

Glide Avalanches are the release of the entire snow cover as a result of gliding over the ground. Glide avalanches can be composed of wet, moist, or almost entirely dry snow. They typically occur in very specific paths, where the slope is steep enough and the ground surface is relatively smooth. They are often proceeded by full depth cracks (glide cracks), though the time between the appearance of a crack and an avalanche can vary between seconds and months. Glide avalanches are unlikely to be triggered by a person, are nearly impossible to forecast, and thus pose a hazard that is extremely difficult to manage.

More info at Avalanche.org

Many glide cracks continue to open up in the forecast zone. During the day yesterday several new cracks were seen opening as well as existing cracks widen. None were reported to have avalanched but one avalanche instructor commented “We would not want to be below these glide cracks right now!”. That said, these are easy to recognize and avoidance is the best tactic considering their unpredictable nature and destructive potential. This is not the kind of avalanche a person can trigger, rather would be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Photo below: Two avalanche students inspect a freshly open glide crack on Tincan ~2,800′ South facing. Notice the additional cracks further along the subridge. (Photo credit: Eeva Latosuo)

Photo below is of three “brown frowns” that have opened in the pat 48-hours (Eeva Latosuo).

Weather

Sun, January 11th, 2015

Yesterday was a mild day in the backcountry with partly cloudy skies, light Easterly winds and temperatures in the mid 30’s F at the mid elevations and low 30’s on the ridgetops. There has been no precipitation since Thursday’s 0.5-1″ of rain up to 3,000′.

Another mild day is in store for today. We should see partly cloudy skies with a slight bump in the Easterly ridgetop winds, into the 15mph zone. Temperatures look to remain near 30F on the ridgetops and the mid 30’s F at the mid and lower elevations.

Our next shot for precipitation is expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon in the form of rain below 2,500′ or so. This system will again usher in warm and windy conditions with moderate precipitation amounts. Stay tuned.

Looking further into the crystal ball (weather models) for later in the week and into the weekend, we will see a series of low pressure systems in the Gulf move through with showery precipitation. Slightly cooler temperatures are expected for Friday, which will help to lower the rain/snow line. However, warmer air looks to follow right behind for Saturday into Sunday, keeping the rain/snow line in the 2,000′ zone.

PRECIPITATION 24-hour data (6am – 6am)

	Temp Avg (F)	Snow (in)	Water (in)	Snow Depth (in)
Center Ridge (1880′)	36	0	0	29
Summit Lake (1400′)	29	0	0	5
Alyeska Mid (1700′)	37	0	0	22.5

RIDGETOP 24-hour data (6am – 6am)

	Temp Avg (F)	Wind Dir	Wind Avg (mph)	Wind Gust (mph)
Sunburst (3812′)	31	E	8	26
Seattle Ridge (2400′)	33	NE	12	27

Observations

Recent Observations for Turnagain Pass

Date	Region	Location	Observer
05/28/22	Turnagain	Avalanche: Turnagain Pass – late May wet slab cycle	CNFAIC Staff
05/21/22	Turnagain	Avalanche: Magnum, Lipps and Tincan	CNFAIC Staff
05/17/22	Turnagain	Avalanche: Sunburst	CNFAIC Staff
05/17/22	Turnagain	Observation: Tincan Ridge	Joe Kurtak
05/11/22	Turnagain	Avalanche: Cornbiscuit and Magnum west faces	CNFAIC Staff Forecaster
05/07/22	Turnagain	Observation: Granddaddy	Kit Barton
04/29/22	Turnagain	Observation: Sunburst wx station	AS/ MM/ AM/ NH
04/28/22	Turnagain	Observation: More Turnagain Pass/Summit Lake wet slab activity	Alex Marienthal
04/27/22	Turnagain	Observation: Magnum	Sykes / Buttrick Forecaster
04/27/22	Turnagain	Observation: Girdwood/Summit/Turnagain Road obs	A S

Riding Areas

Updated Wed, June 01st, 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	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
Placer River	Closed	Closed as of April 25th due to insufficient snow coverage.
Skookum Drainage	Closed	Closed as of April 1st per Forest Plan.
Turnagain Pass	Closed	Closed as of June 1st.
Twentymile	Closed	Closed as of April 6th due to insufficient snow coverage.
Seward District
Carter Lake	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
Lost Lake Trail	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
Primrose Trail	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
Resurrection Pass Trail	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
Snug Harbor	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
South Fork Snow River Corridor	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.
Summit Lake	Closed	Closed as of May 1 per Forest Plan.