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#Avalanche danger in #ChugachStatePark has increased due to new #snow and wind. Expect dangerous avalanche conditions in some areas: human triggered avalanches likely and natural avalanches possible! Recreating in avalanche terrain safely this weekend will require expert level #backcountry travel and avalanche assessment skills. Fresh wind slabs formed from new snow throughout this week (with more accumulation now and overnight) are the primary concern. Wind slabs are expected to be relatively widespread and sensitive to human triggers. Be especially mindful of them on upper elevation leeward terrain near peaks and along ridges and cross-loaded gully sidewalls (see the graphic). Deeper persistent slabs are a secondary concern. This problem is expected to be more isolated and stubborn to trigger. It will require digging an actual #snowpit and conducting a stability test (we recommend the ECT as the gold standard) to suss out this problem. Persistent instabilities will be in the form of basal facets, depth hoar, and faceted grains around buried melt-freeze and rain crusts. As always, be on the lookout for red flags like recent avalanches, shooting cracks, whumphing, and active wind loading (which is expected in at least some areas tomorrow). The videos are of snowpack assessment above Hunter Pass on the approach to North Bowl (S Fork ER) last Sunday. Keep in mind that the layer that failed in this test will be buried 1-3’ deeper by Saturday. It’s quite possible that avalanches this weekend will behave like hard slabs – meaning they might allow a trigger to get onto the middle of a slab before releasing above and around the trigger. This makes escape especially difficult. Best wishes for your weekend! Have fun, be safe, and tag us if you get out in the Western #Chugach so we can know what you’re seeing.

A post shared by Anchorage Avalanche Center (@anchorage_avalanche_center) on Dec 14, 2018 at 7:22pm PST