Sun, March 15, 2015 Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast

Sun, March 15th, 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

Announcement

Announcement

More info at Avalanche.org

The exciting news for this morning is a dramatic change in the weather pattern and the potential for significant snowfall tomorrow; significant for this season, anyhow. We are looking at 8-15+ inches in the Girdwood and Turnagain Pass areas so stay tuned on tomorrow’s advisory.

Until then, we continue to have minor surface instabilities in the form of old shallow wind slabs and easily triggered loose snow sluffs to worry about in very steep terrain. Otherwise, triggering an avalanche remains unlikely until the new snow starts piling up.

If you are headed out today and the visibility is good enough (clouds are just beginning to stream in from the South) things to keep in mind are:

Safe travel practices – exposing one person at time, watching our partners and good communication
Having an escape route planned
Watching your sluff

In anticipation of snowfall, we have been mapping the surface conditions. Below are the three main types of surface conditions out there. A foot or more of new snow will have a hard time sticking to all these surfaces initially – due to pure rapid loading. However, the areas with loose faceted snow covering a slope will be the most concerning several days post storm. If you head to Turnagain Pass this week, we want to know what you are seeing. Please pass on any observations you have on our new “submit an observation” form – link on the menu bar – thanks in advance!

Current surface conditions:

Loose faceted snow Breakable wind crust Sastrugi and other hard wind affected surfaces

Weather

Sun, March 15th, 2015

Yesterday marked our 7th and final day of clear and COLD weather. Temperatures hovered in the minus single digits at all elevations and winds were light from the West.

Today we have cloudy skies and flurries on tap. At 4am this morning, winds have shifted to the East at the Sunburst weather station associated with a warm front that is moving in ahead of a large-scale low pressure system centered South of the Aleutians. Temperatures are just starting to rise as well with the warm front and should reach the mid 20’s F at 1,000′ and the upper teens on the ridgetops. The Easterly ridgetop winds should be in the 10-25mph zone before really ramping up late tonight and tomorrow. Only 1-2″ of snow is expected this afternoon.

Precipitation amounts from tonight through Monday night are in the 1-1.5″ H20 range; which equates to 10-15+” of snow at the upper elevations. The rain/snow line will start off at sea level and rise through tomorrow to around 500′ and possibly as high as 1,000′.

Warm Southerly flow bringing snow showers to the upper elevations with a rain/snow mix at sea level will continue through the week.

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

	Temp Avg (F)	Snow (in)	Water (in)	Snow Depth (in)
Center Ridge (1880′)	4	0	0	43
Summit Lake (1400′)	-2	0	0	9
Alyeska Mid (1700′)	5	0	0	26

RIDGETOP 24-hour data (6am – 6am)

	Temp Avg (F)	Wind Dir	Wind Avg (mph)	Wind Gust (mph)
Sunburst (3812′)	-6	W	7	21
Seattle Ridge (2400′)	-3	SW	9	24

Observations

Recent Observations for Turnagain Pass

Date	Region	Location	Observer
05/22/23	Turnagain	Avalanche: Tincan	Nick D'Alessio
05/12/23	Turnagain	Avalanche: Tincan, Sunburst, Magnum, Cornbiscuit	Heather Thamm
05/07/23	Turnagain	Observation: Tincan – Bear Tracks	CNFAIC Staff
05/05/23	Turnagain	Observation: Seattle Ridge	AS/ WW Forecaster
05/02/23	Turnagain	Observation: Cornbiscuit	Schauer/ Sturgess Forecaster
05/02/23	Turnagain	Observation: Seward Hwy Turnagain Pass	Joel Curtis
04/30/23	Turnagain	Observation: Magnum	Ayla, Kit Crosby, Barton
04/29/23	Turnagain	Observation: Tincan	John Sykes
04/28/23	Turnagain	Avalanche: Taylor Pass/Pastoral	Schauer/ Creighton Forecaster
04/28/23	Turnagain	Avalanche: Tincan	Andy Moderow

Riding Areas

Updated Thu, June 01st, 2023

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 May 15.
Placer River	Closed	Closed May 15.
Skookum Drainage	Closed	Will close to motorized use on April 1, 2023 per the National Forest Plan.
Turnagain Pass	Closed	Will close on June 1.
Twentymile	Closed	Scheduled closure May 1.
Seward District
Carter Lake	Closed	Scheduled closure May 1.
Lost Lake Trail	Closed	Scheduled closure May 1.
Primrose Trail	Closed	Scheduled closure May 1.
Resurrection Pass Trail	Closed	Closed to motorized use for the 2022/23 winter season per Forest Plan. Open next season.
Snug Harbor	Closed	Extended opening until May 15.
South Fork Snow River Corridor	Closed	Scheduled closure May 1.
Summit Lake	Closed	Scheduled closure May 1.