Turnagain Pass Avalanche Forecast
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The avalanche danger is MODERATE above 2000′. Triggering an isolated wind slab will be possible on steep, leeward terrain features. Triggering a larger slab avalanche 1-3′ thick is becoming more unlikely, but not out of the question for Turnagain Pass. Give cornices a wide berth, and avoid travel under glide cracks.
SUMMIT LAKE / JOHNSON PASS: Areas south of Turnagain Pass harbor a thinner, weaker snowpack with multiple weak layers present including buried surface hoar. This zone has more potential for triggering a large slab avalanche 1-3′ thick. Choose terrain wisely. Whumpfing, shooting cracks and recent avalanches are signs of instability.
Signal Word | Size (D scale) | Simple Descriptor |
Small | 1 | Unlikely to bury a person |
Large | 2 | Can bury a person |
Very Large | 3 | Can destroy a house |
Historic | 4 & 5 | Can destroy part or all of a village |
Two days of strong Northwest winds 20-40mph blew most of the loose snow either into the atmosphere, eroded old tracks, or packed it into hard wind slabs and wind crusts. Dozens of small wind slabs were triggered naturally during this event, and several human triggered wind slabs were observed including one yesterday in Lynx Creek. Today triggering an isolated wind slab will be possible in very steep terrain. Smooth hard supportable snow on steep convex and unsupported features will be the most suspect. Wind slabs could be small and shallow or larger if they step down to older weak snow. More on this below. Also keep in mind the Northwest wind direction creates unusual wind loading patterns opposite our normal Easterly storm track direction. Aspects that are typically more shallow and scoured may be more loaded than usual.
CORNICES: Cornices are large in some of the Alpine terrain. Winds may have added additional stress this week. Give them an extra wide berth as they often break farther back than expected.
Wind eroded tracks along Seattle Ridge yesterday are a good example of how strong wind over the last few days have moved a lot of snow.
Signal Word | Size (D scale) | Simple Descriptor |
Small | 1 | Unlikely to bury a person |
Large | 2 | Can bury a person |
Very Large | 3 | Can destroy a house |
Historic | 4 & 5 | Can destroy part or all of a village |
Strong Northwest winds over the last two days were a good test of the snowpack. Summit Lake proved to be the most active, which isn’t a surprise due to an overall thinner and weaker snowpack. Dozens of small natural wind slab avalanches occurred in steep channeled terrain, and some stepped down to older layers producing larger avalanches. Most of this activity occurred on East facing aspects of Fresno Ridge to Gil Patrick and further South to the Sterling Wye. In Turnagain Pass very little avalanche activity was observed other than a few wind slabs in steep terrain and nothing larger that we know of.
What about the MLK buried surface hoar we’ve been talking about for the last few weeks? Is the weight of a person or snow machine still able to trigger this widespread weak layer that sits 1-3’ below the surface? Some uncertainty does remain, but it is becoming more and more unlikely with time. We know buried surface hoar is still lurking, but it has been 10 days since an avalanche was triggered on this layer in Turnagain. Strong winds over the last few days have added additional stress in some places and this should still be on your mind if you are out searching for soft snow.
If you’re headed into the mountains keep in mind:
Pit results yesterday on Seattle Ridge showed the MLK (Martin Luther King Day) buried surface hoar layer present but unreactive.
Several pockets of wind slab on the flank of two East facing gullies of Summit Peak stepped down into older snow closer to the gut.
Glide cracks are on the move and becoming more active this week. Two glides have released this week, one near the Hope Wye and another in Girdwood Valley. Several glide cracks threaten popular routes on the South facing slopes of Lipps and Magnum. There is also a new glide crack opening on Seattle Ridge on Repeat Offender in a zone that is commonly high-marked. Glide cracks are unpredictable, not associated with human triggers, and can release without warning at any time. The best way to manage this problem is to identify their location and avoid traveling on slopes directly below glide cracks.
New glide crack opening up on Seattle Ridge just South of the up-track.
Yesterday: Skies were clear and sunny. Temperatures at all elevation dipped into the single digits F. High temps near sea level were in the teens F. Ridgetops and channeled valleys experienced Northwest winds 5-15mph with gusts 20-30mph. No precipitation fell.
Today: Expect another day of clear and cold weather. Temperatures will remain in the single digits this morning, but will gradually increase throughout the day in sync with a weather pattern shift. Low pressure moving into our region will bring temperatures back into the teens and low 20F’s overnight. Ridgetop winds 5-15mph from the Northwest will diminish and shift mid-day to an Easterly directly.
Tomorrow: The first of several storms will move into Southcentral Saturday and a second storm will arrive on Sunday. Cold air from the North will keep temperatures at or below freezing. At this point there remains a lot of uncertainty around quantity of snow accumulation, but the Southwest flow typically favors Cook Inlet and Hatcher Pass. Sunday’s storm looks more promising for the Eastern Kenai Mountains. Strong Easterly winds will accompany these storms. Expect ridgetop winds to build to 30-40’s mph by Saturday evening.
*The Seattle Ridge anemometer was replaced yesterday and has been recording wind data since 1pm, Feb 14.
Temp Avg (F) | Snow (in) | Water (in) | Snow Depth (in) | |
Center Ridge (1880′) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 57 |
Summit Lake (1400′) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
Alyeska Mid (1700′) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
Temp Avg (F) | Wind Dir | Wind Avg (mph) | Wind Gust (mph) | |
Sunburst (3812′) | 3 | WNW | 8 | 26 |
Seattle Ridge (2400′) | 8 | *NW | *4 | *10 |
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 |
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 |
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Glacier District |
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This is a general backcountry avalanche advisory issued for Turnagain Arm with Turnagain Pass as the core advisory area. This advisory does not apply to highways, railroads or operating ski areas.