Turnagain Pass

Good morning, this is Kevin Wright with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center on Saturday, November 4th. This is just a quick update for the weekend, as conditions have changed again over the last 2 days.

We got anCNFAIC Staff shot of snow yesterday through the region, and strong winds were blowing the previous snow off the ridges even before that precip started. Total snowfall yesterday is somewhere in the 8-18 inch range. Wind loading and recent snow add up to less stable conditions. The weather forecast is calling for clear skies today, but a high probability of snow this evening. Expect the sucker hole today to fall back into anCNFAIC Staff storm.

I would approach the backcountry today with a good sense of caution. Tender wind slabs at upper elevations are very possible. The early season shallow snowpack could be hiding some surprises that you wouldn’t expect. Earlier this week we got a couple reports of sun crust formation on Southern aspects. This is a potential sliding layer for the snowfall that came in yesterday.

The information coming into the avalanche center right now is fairly limited, so make sure that your travel decisions are based on the evidence that you find in the field.

Remember the basics; only one person on a slope at a time, don’t forget your beacon, shovel, and probe, travel with a partner and evaluate the snow conditions as you go. Double check all your gear is working properly, such as, get that beacon some new batteries and make sure your probe is not rusted shut. It’s time to get our avalanche eyeballs out!

This advisory will continue to be updated irregularly until we have the resources to resume a daily schedule. Check back for updates and keep sending us your observations from the backcountry.