Chugach Avalanche Center ARCHIVED - in relation to an incident on this day Issued: Wed, January 31st, 2024 - 7:00AM Expires: Thu, February 1st, 2024 - 7:00AM Forecaster: Daniel Krueger The Bottom Line The avalanche danger is MODERATE at all elevations. East winds created fresh wind slabs 1-2' deep yesterday and new wind slabs will also be forming today as winds pickup throughout the day. It is also possible to trigger an avalanche in the new snow in sheltered areas, especially where more new snow fell over the weekend like in Girdwood and Portage. Additionally, glide avalanches remain a concern and cracks that have not released are much harder to see now due to the new snow. Look out for red flags and be prepared to change travel plans. Recent Avalanches Cloudy skies and limited information has made it hard to assess the extent of natural avalanches from this new load of snow. In the Girdwood area two small skier triggered slab avalanches 15-20" deep at the new/old snow surface were reported yesterday. Storm slab avalanches were also reported in Summit Pass. At the moment no new avalanches have been reported in the Turnagain Pass area. Soft Slab 15-20" deep on Orca at 1300' on a weak layer at the new/old snow surface. Photo by Grant Slesser 1.30.2014 Slab avalanche in Summit Pass yesterday, this is out of the forecast area but similar conditions exist across the region. Avalanche Problem 1 Wind Slabs All aspects, at and above treeline Likelihood: Possible Size: Large (D2) to Small (D1) Moderate winds out of the northwest (10-20 mph) easily transported the light storm snow into touchy winds slabs yesterday (ob here). Although northwest winds were lighter overnight, triggering a wind slab is still possible today. In more wind loaded places these may be large enough to bury a person such as below ridges, rollover convexities, and cross loaded gullies. Red flags such as blowing snow, shooting cracks and stiffer snow over softer snow are great indicators you are traveling on a wind slab. Assess conditions as you travel and change your plan if wind slabs are deeper and more sensitive to triggering, choosing less wind affected areas. Storm Slab: There was a big difference in the amount of new snow that fell in Girdwood and Portage (15-20") versus Turnagain Pass (8-10") over the weekend. In areas that received more new snow it is possible for people to trigger storm slabs in areas sheltered from the wind at the interface with the old snow surface. The layer of new snow has only produced small avalanches so far, possibly due to the fact that the snow is very cold and low density therefore not prone to acting like a cohesive slab. As the new snow settles into a more cohesive layer we could see larger avalanches at the interface with the old snow surface, but we are uncertain how much of a factor that could be in the coming days. Dry Loose and sluffing snow are likely on steeper slopes. This could become an issue because there is ample snow to slide, entrain, or carry a person off of a cliff. Avalanche Problem 2 Glide Avalanches All aspects, at and above treeline Likelihood: Possible Size: Large (D2) to Very Large (D3) Glide cracks are now covered in new snow, making it even more difficult see where they are and avoid traveling under them. When making a travel plan if you are unsure where these now hidden glide cracks are, look back at past observation photos to indicate where some of these are located. As always avoid being under these glide cracks because they can be large and release spontaneously. If you do not have an alternate route limit time under them, expose one person at a time, and move efficiently under them. This is a general backcountry avalanche advisory issued for Turnagain Arm with Turnagain Pass as the core advisory area. This advisory does not apply to highways, railroads or operating ski areas. Copyright © 2025 Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center. All rights reserved. Contact Us P.O. Box 129 / 145 Forest Station Road Girdwood, AK 99587