The National Weather Service Forecasts-

TODAY...RAIN DIMINISHING EARLY THIS MORNING THEN REDEVELOPING
LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVEL 1100 FEET IN THE AFTERNOON.
HIGHS AROUND 37. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT...RAIN AND SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO
3 INCHES...MAINLY FROM TAKU INLET NORTH. LOWS AROUND 31.
NORTHWEST WIND 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST LATE.

THURSDAY...SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION 1 TO 2 INCHES. HIGHS AROUND 35. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT...COLDER. SNOW LIKELY. LOWS 20 TO 28. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

With slightly cooler temperatures today and a diminished precipitation rate the avalanche danger is Considerable at this time.

We have seen quite a bit of rain, warm temperatures, snowpack settlement and consolidation. Long term this will help to solidify and stabilize the snowpack.

Most of the moisture received at lower elevations has come in as rain. The snowpack on the lower mountain is wet and isothermal at 0degrees. In steep unanchored areas slides are still possible until temps drop back down below freezing. If slides were to occur then could entrain quite a bit of mass and clean out the snow all the way down to the earths surface.

On the upper mountains we have still been seeing a little new snow. This has come in quite wet and will bond fairly well. Some of the snowpack may still be upside down with heavy dense snow above looser lighter snow which can lead to dangerous conditions. This is perhaps only evident at the upper elevations of our region and may not be nearly as present in the urban avalanche zones.

The upper mountain reaches received a little new snow in the last 48 hours. Do to loading rates in the last 48 hours some deeper windloaded areas may still need a little time to settle and bond. But most of this snow has come in so wet it simply pasted into the mountainside and densities are high.

Be aware much of the snowpack is still isothermal and wet at this time. If any new snow avalanches were to start up high they could propagate down into the deeper wet layers in place.

With a great deal of the lower elevation snows wet and at the freezing point if slides were to release they could entrain quite a bit of mass as they got down lower in the glide track.

Time is our friend at this point.

Temperatures are falling across the region and will continue to fall into tomorrow.

The snowpack at near freezing has settled and bonded quite a bit but with temperatures above freezing we have removed quite a bit of the glue holding the snowpack together.

As temperatures begin to fall the glue will return and the snowpack will start to turn into a large consolidated block of ice.

If you are heading out into the backcountry in the next 48 hours please use caution as conditions are quite variable at different elevations. Yesterday natural avalanches were sighted throughout the region from Snettisham to Kensington. Those conditions still exist today although loading rates and winds have diminished.

AVALANCHE COMPANION RESCUE

Skills Workshop Series
Sponsored by
Eaglecrest Ski Area
Juneau Mountain Rescue
Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center

Saturdays in January from 1-3:30 PM

Meet at the Eaglecrest Avalanche Beacon Training Park

Saturday January 8th - Avalanche Transceivers, Single Search

Saturday January 15th- Multiple Avalanche Transceiver Searching

Saturday January 22nd- Strategic Shoveling

Saturday January 30th - Companion Rescue Overview- Live Recovery Exercise