Turnagain Pass

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! A small pot of gold was found yesterday in the Spencer Glacier area where a few inches of snow fell early yesterday morning. For the rest of our region surface conditions are made up primarily of thin crusts, hard wind board on ridges and near surface facets (recycled powder) in areas sheltered from the recent winds. Although the avalanche danger is LOW, there are a handful of avalanche problems that could catch you off guard in dangerous terrain. Be aware of the following:

Wind Slabs:  In places that received a few inches of snow yesterday watch for blowing snow and shooting cracks where newly formed shallow wind slabs could be tender today. Older, stiffer wind slabs such as the one triggered on Seattle ridge last weekend will be less likely to trigger by a skier or snowmachiner. Smooth pillowed snow on steep unsupported features or in rocky areas will be the most suspect places to initiate an old wind slab.  

Loose Snow Avalanches (Sluffs): Dry sluffs on steep slopes are probable and have been fast moving this week.  Keep terrain choices and potential consequences in mind when managing sluff.

Glide Avalanches: Glide cracks continue to slowly open above popular terrain on Seattle Ridge and in other zones across the advisory area. These may release at any time.  Minimize exposure time spent under visible cracks.

Cornices: Cornices should always be given an extra wide berth if travelling along a corniced ridge.  Like glide cracks, minimize your exposure time spent under these backcountry bombs. 

Persistent Slabs and Deep Slabs: There are various weak layers in our thin snowpack. Buried surface hoar sits 1-3+’ below the surface and faceted snow sits in the mid and base of the pack. Given plenty of time and a lack of changing weather, these weak layers (with varying degrees of strength) are in a ‘dormant stage’.  Although unlikely, an avalanche breaking deeper in the pack isn’t completely out of the question in areas such as Johnson Pass, Lynx Creek and in parts of Girdwood Valley (especially around Crow Pass).  A cornice fall or glide crack release could also be a large enough trigger to wake up one of these persistent slabs.  

Skier triggered sluff on the South Face of Sunburst.

“This is a video re-cap of the last month or so of weather in Alaska as seen from the GOES satellite imaging system. If you watch carefully you might actually be able to see our snowpack blowing into the Gulf…” Thanks Tobey Carmen for the timelapse.