Comments for The Alaska Avalanche Information Center

Comment on Weather by Sam Owen

Sam Owen — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:32:25 +0000

Hey guys. Theres my email if you need to get ahold of me. Great website, btw, i check it everyday:)

Comment on Ketchikan by Michael K. Schuler

Michael K. Schuler — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:25:28 +0000

An interesting day in the alpine on Deer Mountain today. Local point forecast from NWS was quite far off–but it should be noted that the point forcasts are still in development. Forecast was 2-4″ through the day, but between 11am and 2pm more than 8″ fell on top of 6-8″ from overnight. The accumulations I’m talking about were all from the 2nd overlook and above. The other issue today was wind–and blowing snow. Winds near the summit were 10-20kts with gusts to maybe 30, and a lot of snow was being transported all over the place. Air temp sat about 28f.
With all the fresh snow I played it conservatively on where I chose to dig pits, but got similar results at three separate locations on different aspects and elevations. Pit one was wind-sheltered on a steep West slope. I isolated three columns and each one the top 38cm failed as soon as I cut it free on the back…as one might expect it too on the layer of ice with hoarfrost of 1-2mm size. Below that I got the column to fail at 100cm down (ct8/Q1) which would be similar to the Feb 15 pit (see below).
Pits 2 and 3 were on less steep slopes (35-43 degree) and both under the influence of wind. Pit 2 was in the lee of a small cross loaded gully with a SW aspect and the two columns I tested both failed at the new snow/ice layer 50cm down in this location. (ct3/Q1). AND on the extended column I got it to fail at ect6/Q1 with propagation. Pit 3 was on a good windy open spot on a N. slope and failed down 40cm (same ice/faceted layer) on the third tap! (ct3/Q1)
That was enough for me to see. Worked through the thick trees back to the trail and headed home.

Comment on Ketchikan by Michael K. Schuler

Michael K. Schuler — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:44:35 +0000

Thanks Ethan. We’re working on it down here. Slow but sure, I guess, and this site is an awesome place to start!

Comment on Education by Sarah Jorgenson

Sarah Jorgenson — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:05:23 +0000

Copper Valley Telecom would like to send out a big THANK YOU to Sarah Carter and Ethan Davis for yesterday’s presentation during our monthly employee safety meeting! It was extremely informative and interesting. I’ve heard nothing but praises from my co-workers. We are so lucky to be supporters of such an important educational tool for all Alaskans who love playing in the snow.

Comment on Ketchikan by Ethan

Ethan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:44:53 +0000

Great obs Michael, sounds like a fun day in the mountains. Heading up here in Valdez today, 10 inches of new! Spread some flyers around town with the link to this obs page. Once a few people get posting the forum carries itself. Stay safe and have fun out there.

Comment on Ketchikan by Michael K. Schuler

Michael K. Schuler — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:00:33 +0000

Hey Everybody! (or just myself as I may be the only one reading this!) I took the opportunity and headed up Deer Mtn yesterday afternoon to take advantage of the bluebird day at hand. The trail is good and only patchy snow until the switchbacks. After that, because of consistantly freezing temps. the snowpack was solid. No need for snowshoes at all! Once above the 2nd overlook, of course, crampons were wise as the NW slopes were passable in boots-only–as there was a half-inch crust then an inch or so of loose stuff on top of the denser snowpack. Still, why take the chance?
great travelling conditions beyond the cabin and throughout the bowl with the colder temps having solidified the top10cm of the snowpack. The big squall on Sunday did deposit a couple cm on wind sheltered areas, otherwise it’s rapidly becoming a glare-ice situation in the normal wind-prone zones.
I dug a pit 30 or so meters below the summit on a West facing slope at +/- 50deg. slope. Two notable weak layers up at the summit mirror what I’ve been seeing elsewhere–though at the summit the the depths are shallower due to wind scour, I think. First weak layer failed at 60cm down (ct-6/Q1-2), the second was at 90cm down (Jan. freeze layer) ct-16/Q 2. Today I couldn’t get either to propagate.
After that it was a cup of tea, some food, watch a fab sunset and wander back down the mtn. What did everyone else do this weekend?

Comment on Ketchikan by Michael K. Schuler

Michael K. Schuler — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:51:07 +0000

A veritable melange of snow conditions on Deer Mtn. and out to Blue Lake today! Last nights front brought moderate rainfall at all elevations. The snow below the 2nd overlook was much softer than yesterday–and the inversion was not in place this morning. From the 2nd overlook and beyond snow had fallen at some point during the night and then was rained on. Very little left on the trees, but freezing rain coated the trees on the backside at the cabin. Snow surface varied from a few inches of heavy glop with a thin crust to hard windblown (at the saddle naturally) to a cm or so of graupel from the cabin out to Blue Lake. Surprisingly, even the graupel was frozen solid to the surface due to the rain, then freeze.
Worth noting that there were a few new cornice sections that collapsed and a couple looked to have fractured outward on the 45cm layer I spoke of yesterday.
Overall a grand day out in the sun! (Well, at least until that nasty squall rolled in late…)

Comment on Ketchikan by Michael K. Schuler

Michael K. Schuler — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:14:53 +0000

Today’s snow profile pit was dug at trail level in the last starting zone before the ridge/spine at the Deer Mtn. saddle (in the focus area of last years snowboarder search). Snowpack is fairly well consolidated due to the rain and inversion, but weak layers are still failing under both column and extended column. Snow is moist and dense and sheared easily (ct-3/Q1) at 23cm down. Density down to that level was one to two finger.
Second noteable failure was at 45cm down (ct-6/Q1) and the snow above (to the noted 23cm line) was totally loose. Most interesting to me was the failure (ct23-26/Q1 at the 135cm down level. This dates back to the mid Jan freeze and seems to fail equitably at all aspects and elevations tested–AND both the 45cm and 135cm levels propagated under the extended test.
The snow surface everywhere in the alpine was a crampon show and (luckily) because of the inversion (temp at the cabin at 8am was 39f) no hoarfrost has grown.
Be safe, always file a “float plan” and get out there!

Comment on Ketchikan by edavis

edavis — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:59:49 +0000

Great info by the way, I am excited that people in Ketchikan are into sharing info like this! Great work guys.

Comment on Ketchikan by edavis

edavis — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:58:29 +0000

Hi folks, sorry your comments didn’t post immediately, we were between filters to deal with spam. Should be all good now, stay safe out there and have fun!