The only recent slab avalanche we saw was a small pocket on a rocky knob between Main Bowl and Zero Bowl (see attached photo).
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Seattle Ridge
We toured up to Seattle Ridge to take a look at snowpack conditions ahead of the upcoming motorized opener. Data is still very sparse for this side. The terrain above around 2500′ had gotten hit hard by the winds yesterday afternoon, especially along the ridge top and in the back bowls. We dug four pits- two at the top of Main Bowl on the back side, and two near the top of the Repeat Offender slide path on the front side. These were all between 2600′ and 3000′ elevation. We did not notice any alarming results in any of the four pits we dug. Our biggest concern for the day was the wind slabs that formed yesterday afternoon, but they were not reactive where we traveled.
It was great to see DOT plow equipment out this afternoon. By 4:00 they had cleared parking for Bertha Creek, Magnum/Cornbiscuit, most of Sunburst, and the Moto lot.
Observer Comments
Weather
We got above the valley fog just as we started driving up the pass and enjoyed clear skies and almost no wind all day.
Snow surface
Snow surfaces were best below 2500' elevation, and had been hit by the winds above that. At elevations above 2500' surfaces varied from punchy wind slabs to sastrugi to supportable wind-packed snow. The back bowls got the brunt of the winds, with Zero Bowl and Warmup Bowl blown down to the tundra in some places.
Snowpack
*See attached snowpit profiles for detailed snowpack information.
We dug four pits- two at the top of Main Bowl on the back side, and two near the top of the Repeat Offender slide path on the front side. These were all between 2600' and 3000' elevation. We were looking for anything suspicious around the 11/13 surface hoar layer or the older snow below the 11/9 storm. We could not find any sign of the 11/13 surface hoar layer, and we did not get high enough to find any old snow at the ground. The crust that resulted from a warm spell near the end of the 11/9 storm was easy to find up to around 2500', and was barely noticeable in our highest pit at 2950'.
Looking down over Main Bowl and across the Turnagain Arm to Girdwood. 11.14.2023
View of Widowmaker in the foreground and Pyramid in the middle ground. 11.14.2023
The only recent slab avalanche we noticed today was this pocket on a rocky knob on the south edge of Main Bowl. 11.14.2023
George in one of our four snowpits of the day. This one was a north facing slope above Main Bowl at about 2700' elevation. 11.14.2023
Looking like Warmup Bowl also got hit hard by the winds yesterday afternoon. 11.14.2023
Turnagain Pass in all of its early winter glory. 11.14.2023
Action shot in the moto lot this afternoon. DOT was out and plowing the parking areas today. 11.14.2023
Snowpit info from the top of Main Bowl, right next to the standard track people use to ride down into the bowl. 11.14.2023
Snowpit info from the top of the Repeat Offender slide path on the front side of Seattle Ridge, just south of the common up track. 11.14.2023