Turnagain Pass

As we enter into November, high pressure resides over Alaska. Many of us are wondering if the icons on our smart phones will ever say snow? It seems ‘sunny’, ‘partly sunny’, ‘ cloudy’, etc keep popping up – anything but snow… Until then, the CNFAIC will be issuing intermittent updates. Daily avalanche advisories are planned to begin Thanksgiving week – but if snow eludes us, it will likely be later when conditions warrant. In the meantime, do your snow dances and cross your fingers!

Current conditions on Turnagain Pass – Sunburst Ridge

To break-in the season, we are focusing each update on one of the Know Before You Go’s ‘GETS’.    Today’s GET is  GET THE FORECAST!    (Know Before You Go video link  in case you missed it last week)

Up here in Alaska there are many areas that do not have an avalanche forecast. But there are some areas that do – Turnagain Pass, Hatcher Pass and Thompson Pass all have avalanche forecasts. Before heading out, know if there is a forecast for the place you are going and check it! A map for the CNFAIC Turnagain Pass forecast area is on the home page of this website. Other avalanche forecasts can be found at these links:  Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center  and the  Valdez Avalanche Center. Keep in mind, avalanche danger can  vary widely from one place to the next, it is not safe to extrapolate danger ratings to areas outside the forecast zones.

If you have read this far, you’re probably familiar with the North American Danger Scale – or at least the 5 colors associated with the ‘danger rating’.  What do they all mean and how do avalanche forecasters come up with the danger each day? Here is a great reminder of this by our friends at the National Avalanche Center:

With all the fine print in the danger scale, what column is most important? The  TRAVEL ADVICE. This is your best tool when planning your outing for the day.    

 
Have you ever wondered what danger rating most avalanche fatalities occur?  These fatal days are often the first day or two after a storm when skies clear but the snowpack has not yet adjusted to the new snow load. As the season unfolds, don’t forget this very important rule of thumb.

Special Announcements

Upcoming Events:

• Tuesday, Nov 14th:    An evening at Ski AK with CNFAIC forecaster Wendy Wagner – topic: lessons learned and understanding the avalanche advisory.
         6:30-8:30pm at Ski AK in Anchorage. Free!
• Thursday, Nov 16th:    Beartooth – Friends of the CNFAIC Fall FUNdraiser  – Don’t miss this chance to support your  avalanche center and get inspired for the season listening to  Mark and  Janelle Smiley’s amazing  adventures!!!    
          8pm at the Beartooth Theater Pub

• Friday, Nov 17th:    Girdwood – Friends of the CNFAIC Fall FUNdraiser  – The Smiley’s will again be presenting for the F-CNFAIC to the Girdwood crowd!! If you miss the Beartooth evening – this is your second chance to have a fun night out and support the CNFAIC!
          7pm at the  Girdwood Brewing Company

Don’t get confused – there are two showing with the Smileys:

BEARTOOTH THEATER PUB (NOV 16)                 GIRDWOOD BREWING COMPANY (NOV 17)

                 
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AVALANCHE EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS. The Friends of the CNFAIC have two scholarships dedicated to avalanche education. The funds generated to make these possible are in celebration of Rob and Amy, their love and passion for the mountains, and to help others stay safe. We encourage you to read each one and apply yourself if you fit the need, or pass along to someone who could benefit.    Applications due on Dec 15th.

Rob Hamel Scholarship Fund  – For recreational users and professional avalanche workers.

Amy Downing Scholarship Fund  – For recreational users.