We are looking at one more day of fair weather today, but there is still a very real possibility of triggering an avalanche 1-3′ deep at the interface between the old snow and the the storm snow from last week. The storm buried a variety of suspect surfaces including crusts, surface hoar, and near-surface facets, and we have seen multiple large avalanches since Thursday, including several skier-triggered avalanches yesterday (Take a look at the links in the avalanche activity section of this advisory for more info and photos).
With strong winds alternating between easterly and westerly over the past two days, there are now multiple generations of wind slabs capping these potentially dangerous weak layers. As we move farther out from the last loading event, it is becoming less likely we will see natural avalanches failing on these weak layers, but it is still entirely possible for a person to trigger a large slab avalanche. The distribution of these weak layers is still a little bit fuzzy, but we have seen remotely triggered avalanches on Eddie’s and in the Squirrel/Skookum area, and very wide propagation in the Girdwood Valley. All of these signs point to a reactive layer. It is uncertain just how long this weak layer will remain a problem, but with multiple avalanches yesterday, it is most definitely still a concern today.
The best way to avoid getting caught with a problem like this is to avoid steep slopes entirely. For those with a larger appetite for risk, stepping into steep terrain needs to be done carefully. This means being diligent with your snowpack assessment- taking the time to look for weak interfaces between new and old snow, keeping an eye out for shooting cracks/collapsing, collecting information from smaller test slopes before getting into big terrain. Consider the consequences of getting caught in an avalanche in the terrain you are looking at. With the current potential for human-triggered avalanches, this is not a great time to be getting into high consequence terrain.
Cornices: Cornices are large and dangerous as always right now. Be sure to maintain plenty of space from the edge as you travel along ridgelines, and be sure to limit time spent under them. We may see some more chunks breaking naturally as things heat up once again in the sun today.
Deep Persistent Slab: We know there is poor snowpack structure with deeply buried weak layers of facets in the far northern and southern ends of our advisory are (Crow Pass, Johnson Pass, Lynx Creek, Silvertip Creek), as well as the Summit Lake area. It is unlikely a person will trigger an avalanche on one of these layers today, but not impossible. One more thing to consider while choosing terrain in these zones along the outskirts of our forecast area.
Remote-triggered avalanche on the Eddie’s headwall. The avalanche was triggered just out of frame to the right on the lower bump in the foreground. 03.06.2022
Archives 
The Bottom Line
