| Trigger | Natural | Remote Trigger | 0 |
| Avalanche Type | Unknown | Aspect | North |
| Elevation | 2000ft | Slope Angle | 45deg |
| Crown Depth | 5ft | Width | 200ft |
| Vertical Run | unknown |
Avalanche: Girdwood
Location: Portage Road Obs and Girdwood obs
We drove Portage Road between 2pm and 3pm and witnessed a natural avalanche near Williwaw Campground. Photos below. Visibility was pretty good and could see around some of the valley. There were numerous crowns, blowing snow along ridge tops, and the sun was triggering wet/loose avalanches on Southern aspects.
Avalanche Details
Witnessed a natural avalanche near Williwaw Camp ground on a Northern aspect. Active and rapid wind loading were observed just prior to this event on a similar aspect.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observer Comments
Recent avalanches, wind loading, and sun triggered wet/loose point releases
Weather
Obscured becoming mostly cloudy with patches of blue sky and sun.
36F in Portage
Winds were blowing snow along ridgetops
Snow surface
1+ feet of standing water along road with slick ice below. Poor driving conditions. 10-12 inches of wet snow in pullouts that were clear of snow yesterday.
Natural avalanche near Williwaw Camp ground. This is in a slide path just west of Five Sisters. North aspect, starting zone is about 2000'.
Numerous crowns in the starting zone of the above avalanche.
Significant wind loading and blowing snow was seen on a similar aspect only minutes before this avalanche was observed.
Several crowns could be seen near the base of Maynard Mt near Portage Lake, W aspect
A small crown was seen on an NE aspect above the first rail road tunnel in Portage Valley.
Point releases in the alpine on a South aspect, observed around 2:45pm from Portage turn off.
Large slab was observed on a SW aspect if Goat Mountain in Girdwood around 2:30pm. The ground could be seen in the bed surface. Photo by Kari Hendrich