Turnagain Pass Archives
| Date | Rating | Problem #1 | Problem #2 | The Bottom Line |
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 Wet Loose
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 Storm Slabs
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The avalanche danger is HIGH due to heavy rain, wet snowfall and strong wind. A very potent warm and wet storm has brought rain near the top of treeline and possibly higher. This has triggered a natural wet avalanche cycle in the Treeline elevation band and up to 2,700′. Above this, natural storm snow avalanches [Read More] | ||
 Persistent Slabs
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Wet Loose
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The avalanche danger remains CONSIDERABLE on all aspects and elevations above 1500′ today and is expected to increase to HIGH tonight. Another pulse of snow, rain and wind is headed our way and will continue to load a fragile and weak snowpack. Natural avalanches are possible and human triggered slab avalanches 2-4+ feet deep are [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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 Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on all aspects and elevations above 1500′. Recent storms have loaded a weak snowpack. Triggering a slab 2-4+ feet could release on slopes steeper than 30 degrees and remote triggered avalanches are possible. Cautious route-finding, conservative decision-making are essential today. Below 1000′, where little snow exists, the avalanche [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE where triggering an avalanche 2-4+ feet thick will be likely above 1500′. Remote triggered avalanches are also likely and could run further than expected. Small slopes and large slopes are all suspect and it will be very important to avoid slopes steeper than 35 degrees, terrain traps and runout zones. [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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Avalanche danger is expected to increase to HIGH by this afternoon as another round of rain, snow and wind moves in. Around 10-15″ of snow falling today in the Alpine and 1″ of rain below 1,500′ will continue to overload a very unstable snowpack. Natural avalanches are expected and human triggered avalanches will be very [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE near and above treeline (above 1000′). The recent storm has loaded a weak snowpack. Triggering a slab 2-3+ feet thick is likely on slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Remote triggered avalanches are possible. Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential today. Below 1000′ the avalanche danger is MODERATE [Read More] | ||
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Storm Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE at all elevations today. Triggering a slab 2-3+ feet thick will be likely on slopes steeper than 30 degrees and natural avalanches are possible as the next storm system moves into the region. Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential today. Pay attention to changing conditions. If today’s storm is [Read More] | ||
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Storm Slabs
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Continued snowfall, rain and wind will keep the avalanche danger at HIGH again today. A warm, wet and windy storm has overloaded the snowpack in the Girdwood, Portage, Turnagain Pass and Kenai Mtn regions. Natural avalanches are expected again today and human triggered avalanches are very likely. Travel in avalanche terrain is NOT recommended. [Read More] | ||
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Storm Slabs
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Strong winds, heavy snowfall and rain expected today and tonight will increase the avalanche danger to HIGH. Naturally occurring avalanches will be likely as the storm pushes in and adds 10 – 20″ of snow above 1,000′ by this evening. Human triggered avalanches will be very likely and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE in the alpine and at treeline where triggering a slab 1-2+ feet thick will be likely and natural avalanches are possible as stormy weather begins. Remote triggered avalanche are also possible if traveling adjacent to slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Small slopes and large slopes are all suspect and it [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE near and above treeline (above 1000′). The recent storm has loaded a weak snowpack. Triggering a slab 1 – 2+ feet thick is likely on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Remote triggered avalanches are possible. Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential today. Below 1000′ the avalanche danger [Read More] | ||
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Persistent Slabs
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Wind Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE in the alpine and at treeline. New snow, warm temperatures and sustained winds have loaded a weak snowpack. Triggering a slab 1 – 2+ feet thick is likely on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Natural avalanches and remote triggered avalanches are possible. Cautious route-finding, conservative decision-making are essential today. [Read More] | ||
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Storm Slabs
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The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE. New snow, rain and sustained winds have loaded a weak snowpack. Triggering a slab 1 – 2+ feet thick is likely. Natural avalanches are possible. Cautious routefinding and conservative decision-making are essential today. *Below Treeline: ICE CLIMBERS in Portage Valley: Avalanches today could release naturally in higher terrain, sending debris [Read More] | ||
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Storm Slabs
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AVALANCHE DANGER IS EXPECTED TO RISE THROUGH THE WEEK AS CONDITIONS CHANGE The avalanche danger is MODERATE on all slopes near and above treeline. Triggering a slab avalanche 1′ thick is possible today on steep slopes that have recently been loaded by winds. New snow is falling on a variety of surfaces that it may [Read More] | ||
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Storm Slabs
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AVALANCHE DANGER IS EXPECTED TO RISE THROUGH THE WEEK. Today is the first snowfall in a series of snow events – as snow begins to pile up in the coming days, natural and human triggered avalanches will become likely. A quick shot of snow overnight has hit Portage and Girdwood Valley with 4-6+ [Read More] | ||
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As the weather starts to change today be aware of changing avalanche conditions. The forecast is calling for 1-6″ of snow over the next 12 hours combined with moderate Easterly winds. This is enough wind and precipitation to form new wind slabs on steep leeward features, unsupported slopes or cross loaded gullies. Although wind slabs [Read More] | ||
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Happy Thanksgiving from the CNFAIC crew! Due to the continued lack of significant snow on the ground and no large storms headed our way, we will be posting our next update on Saturday, November 25th. If you do venture out into the backcountry, the snowpack in the advisory area is still very thin. The couple [Read More] | ||
 Announcement
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Today is Monday, the beginning of Thanksgiving week, and this will be one of our last updates before we begin issuing avalanche advisories! A quick moving storm added 2-6″ inches of light snow to the mountains around Turnagain Pass, Girdwood and the Kenai yesterday. The snow depth at the Turnagain Pass SNOTEL station at 1,880′ [Read More] | ||
 Announcement
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Daily advisories will begin the week of Thanksgiving if there is enough snow! A very thin snowpack exists in our forecast zone due to High pressure that has dominated the region for most of November. An inch of snow was recorded on Thursday at Turnagain Pass and another storm is moving through our region tomorrow, [Read More] | ||
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Announcement
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We will continue to post updates on conditions and some educational reminders for the season. Daily advisories will begin the week of Thanksgiving if there is enough snow! High pressure has dominated the region for the past week. Today there is system moving over that could produce a couple of inches of snow. There is [Read More] | ||
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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 [Read More] | ||
 Announcement
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As we wait for enough snow to fall to warrant full avalanche advisories we are going to continue to provide updates and some educational reminders for the season. Get in the habit of monitoring our observation page HERE for Turnagain Pass info. This observation page also houses reports from other areas along with ‘mirrored’ observations [Read More] | ||
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Image of Tincan at 3pm Sunday, Nov 5th after 3″ dusting of snow. Turnagain Pass is still very thin – snowpack from 0″ to possibly 1′ at the high elevations, even 2′ where the winds have blown in snow. Photo from Peter Wadsworth of Sunburst on Monday Nov 6th. [Read More] | ||
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Thanks to stormy weather during the first week of October, followed by another quick storm on Friday the 13th (of October), a dusting of snow sits above 2,500′ in the mountains near Turnagain Pass, Girdwood and on the Kenai. Although we’ve had a few folks report finding enough snow to ski/snowboard at the high elevations [Read More] | ||
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Announcement
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The CNFAIC is no longer issuing advisories for Turnagain Pass and surrounding regions for the 2016/17 season. Although our forecast season is finished, this does not mean that the avalanche season has ended – please see below for some SPRINGTIME AVALANCHE TIPS!! Current conditions? Keep tabs on our Observation Page! We will be posting all [Read More] |