Turnagain Pass

The southerly facing slopes in the region are becoming riddled with wet loose avalanches over the past few days of warm weather. It is getting hard to tell what avalanches are new and what are from a few days ago. It did appear that a few new wet loose sluffs occurred yesterday on Seattle Ridge and thanks to folks on Center Ridge, we know of one larger wet sluff that occurred on Tincan Proper yesterday at 4:10pm. Photos below.

A few new wet loose avalanches on the roadside (SE face) of Seattle Ridge at Turnagain Pass. These types of small avalanches have been occurring for the past three days of warm weather. 3.7.23.

The debris that runs the furthest in this photo is a from a larger wet loose avalanche that occurred yesterday at 4:10pm. This is the southerly face of Tincan Proper and photoed from Center Ridge. Thanks the the Alaska Guide Collective for the photo. 

Springtime conditions are expected again today as temperatures continue to be exceedingly warm overnight (40’sF at Sunburst!) and then set on overdrive as the sun beats down on the southerly aspects through the day. We have seen countless small and some large wet loose avalanches occur naturally for the past three afternoons and today should be the same. These are starting to become larger and entraining more snow. They could also start pulling out slabs, making for an even larger avalanche. Example of this in the photo below from a zone to the south of the forecast area near Moose Pass.

The good thing is we can easily avoid being in the way of these by doing a few key things. First, be sure to monitor the surface conditions when on a southerly aspect. Once the sun crusts start to melt and become very soft, that’s when the snow becomes so weak it can easily avalanche. At this point it’s good to move to a shadier aspect. Also, these can run a surprising distance- so when traveling in valley bottoms or under slopes, we have to be sure to give plenty of space in case debris does come down a slope or gully.

It’s also good to remember the hottest part of the day is around 3 and 4pm and when these avalanches are most likely to occur. This is a couple hours after the sun is directly over us, which is solar noon and is just after 1pm right now. Starting Sunday, daylight savings, solar noon will be just after 2pm and the hottest time of day 4-5pm.

This avalanche occurred either Monday or Tuesday in the Moose Pass area on Madson Mtn. It is a good example of how a wet loose avalanche can trigger a slab below. 3.7.23.

Cornice falls are much more likely with warm temperatures and strong sunshine, so we have to be aware of cornices overhead and try to give them a wide berth along a ridgelines. A big chunk of cornice falling also has the potential to trigger a slab avalanche on the slope below.

Glide cracks have been opening up over the past several weeks and the rapid change in temperature could make them more likely to release. These things have a mind of their own and can really release under any conditions, so it is important to be aware of any glide cracks overhead and try to minimize time spent underneath them.

The rapid warming of the snowpack over the past few days could cause some of those old wind slabs or even those older buried weak layers to become active again. This is most concerning in isolated areas that have a thin overall snowpack and where some signs of instability have been seen over past couple weeks, such as near Crow Pass, Pete’s North, and areas around Johnson Pass. There was a skier triggered avalanche above Johnson Pass in the Bench Pk area two days ago (Monday). This slab is pictured below and looks to have released on an older weak layer around a foot or so deep. If traveling in these more remote areas with a thinner snowpack, extra caution is recommended.

Skier triggered avalanche on Monday on the far southern part of the forecast area above Johnson Pass in the Bench Pk region. Skier was able to self arrest and was not caught. 3.6.23.