While avalanche warnings are in effect for the Mat-Su’s Hatcher Pass, Kenai Peninsula backcountry enthusiasts are currently safe to enjoy the newest snow layer in Turnagain Pass.
Education Coordinator Sarah Carter with the Alaska Avalanche Information Center says the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information webpage is the best resource to find Turnagain Pass conditions.
Carter: “The third snowfall of the season hit Turnagain Pass last night, added four to five inches at mid-elevations. Talking about the snow pack growing with the added weight and stress of the strong snow. Over the past week, Turnagain Pass has seen a stable snow pack with no known avalanches and that’s a very different situation than Hatcher Pass because Hatcher Pass got quite a bit more snow from the recent storm that just came through.”
Hatcher Pass saw over a dozen human-caused avalanches on Wednesday and the high avalanche warning lasts into Friday with strong winds forecast for the area.
Carter gave avalanche safety tips for backcountry travelers to remember.
Carter: “To get the gear, so be ready for the avalanche accident with a beacon, probe, and shovel, get the forecast, try to understand what those conditions are doing, and then get the training.”
She says there are some avalanche awareness courses being planned for the Kenai Peninsula but have not been set yet.
