Update, Monday morning: The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center has extended a backcountry avalanche warning through 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“Large avalanches are expected to release naturally, be easily triggered by people and send debris to valley floors,” the avalanche center said in Monday’s forecast. “Travel in and below avalanche terrain is NOT recommended.”
Avalanche danger remained high at all elevations Monday for the Turnagain Pass area specifically. The center described high avalanche danger persisting in the mountains surrounding the Girdwood Valley through Turnagain Pass and the Summit Lake area down to the Seward/Lost Lake zone.
From Wednesday through early Monday morning, Turnagain Pass and the Girdwood Valley had received 5 to 6 feet of snow above treeline, according to the avalanche center.
“With continued heavy snow, rain and wind-loading large natural avalanches are likely and may run to valley bottoms,” the avalanche center said. “Human triggered unsurvivable avalanches are very likely.”
Original story:
High avalanche danger is expected Sunday at all elevation levels from the Girdwood area to Seward, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.
Backcountry recreators should stay off of and out from underneath of slopes greater than 30 degrees, the avalanche center warned in a written statement.
Human-triggered avalanches were likely Sunday and numerous avalanches have been reported to the center within the last few days in the impacted area.
“Recent heavy snowfall and rain combined with strong winds have created widespread areas of unstable snow,” the statement said.
Snow has been falling in the area throughout the last four days and the avalanche center warned that additional snowfall expected Sunday could lead to natural avalanches and human-triggered avalanches between 4 and 6 feet deep, the center said in Sunday’s daily forecast.
From Saturday to Sunday morning, there was roughly a foot of new snow at Turnagain Pass and Alyeska. The heavy snowfall paired with easterly winds of 20 to 35 mph and gusts up to 57 mph at the ridgetop, the center said.
During Sunday, another 6 to 10 inches of snow could fall, the center said. Up to a foot more of snow could fall Sunday night into Monday along the Seward Highway, according to a statement from the National Weather Service.
“Avoid traveling on or below steep slopes, as we are expecting large avalanches to run far into lower-elevation runout zones today,” the avalanche center wrote. “With another round of heavy snowfall possible tonight, we are expecting to see elevated avalanche danger through tomorrow.”
The warning began early Sunday and will remain in effect until Monday morning for the western Chugach and Kenai mountains near Girdwood, Turnagain Pass, Summit Lake, Lost Lake and Seward.