Turnagain Pass

Wind Slabs: Over the last three days moderate Easterly winds and heavy snowfall have loaded leeward terrain features above 2000’. Today light winds and a trace of new snow is expected. Should visibility allow for travel into the upper elevations, be aware of lingering wind slabs in steep terrain. Expect slabs to be 1-2’ thick and watch for cracking in the new snow. Hand pits and jumping on small terrain features and test slopes can be good ways to see how well slabs are bonding. 

Cornices: Cornices have been growing to enormous sizes and will be tender today. Steer clear and don’t put yourself directly on or under a cornice. They can break much further back along a ridge than expected and their extra large size has the potential to trigger a lingering wind slab below. 

A Cornice that has formed along “CFR” ridge above Common Bowl on Tincan, estimated to be ~15′ tall. The biggest its been all season. 

Warm temps, rain and wet snow have been adding weight and stress to glide cracks throughout Turnagain Pass. These unpredictable hazards cover many steep slopes between 1000’ to 2500’ and continue to release without warning. Look for the large upside down ‘brown frowns’ and avoid hanging out directly underneath glides. Several glide cracks have released in the last few days including a new one on Sharks Fin.

Seattle Ridge is covered in large glide cracks that span most of the East Face along Turnagain Pass. 

Southwest face of Sharks Fin as seen from the Seward Hwy yesterday. Exact timing of this glide avalanche is unknown, but likely in the last two days.

Freezing overnight temperatures are helping the lower elevations form a light crust and water continues to drain from a saturated snowpack below 1500’. Today daytime temperatures may reach the mid 30’s and wet loose avalanches will be something to monitor. If the snow is wet and slushy avoid steep terrain where loose wet snow has the potential to gain momentum and entrain deeper into the snowpack.

*Isolated snow and rain showers are in the forecast for today, but should the sun find its way through the clouds, be on the look out for wet loose activity in the mid to upper elevations. I know… this seems a little premature, but since the surface snow is light and dry, it doesn’t take much solar exposure to affect new snow.