With the first snow fall comes an increase in the chances of an avalanche. As the first flakes fell in town, Erik Stevens, director, and forecaster for the Haines avalanche center, sat down with KHNS’ Brandon Wilks to talk about what Haines residents can expect as we enter the winter season.

 

[Wilks]Okay, and so you just updated your website for the first time this year, is that correct?

[Stevens] Yeah, we’ve posted our first snow and Avalanche update at the season. For all three of our zones, we have three zones in Haines, there’s the new tax zone near town, the chill cat pass, which is over the border up at near the top of the pass, and then the transitional zone, which is kind of up the highway in between the two. And we’ve have had some reports and some conditions, updates from all three zones. So we just wanted to post an initial update, and give people an idea of where we’re at and what to expect going forward.

[Wilks]So we’re seeing snow here in town for the first time this winter. What do you think people can expect? We’ve already had a lot of slides this year just from rain. It’s obviously a big concern. What do you what are you expecting this season?

[Stevens]Well, in terms of snow conditions, and Avalanche conditions, it’s impossible to say for sure, could be anything are seasons vary so much from year to year. But as of right now, we’ve got about six to 12 inches of snow that was on the ground in the mountains. And that was before the storm that came in today. So basically, from the 22nd to the 25th of October, we had about six to 12 inches of snowfall up there. And that put down a nice little layer, I know at least one or two people got out and got some turns in on skis and snowboard, which is really fun. But it’s very thin. But today’s storm here on the 27th, this is bringing in some significant accumulation up there in the mountains, probably one to two feet over the next couple of days. So that’ll be enough to form a base for us as we go forward. And we’ll have to see how the weather forms that snowpack and how things set up. But as of now, I mean, I think the seasons just now getting started.

[Wilks]Now, for those who don’t know, what are kind of the basis for really bad avalanche conditions.

[Stevens]So for an avalanche to form, you have to have a slab of snow, which is kind of a harder, stiffer layer that we call a slab. And that needs to be sitting on top of a weak layer. And that weak layer could be some freshly fallen storms, snow could be ice crust, or some really dry sugary crystals that form under really cold and clear and cold conditions. And if you take that slab over that weak layer, and you put it on a steep incline, then really all it needs is a trigger to get that slab to move. And that trigger could be a person snow machine could be a cornice falling, or it could just be a new load of heavy new snow falling on top.

[Wilks]So for people who do like to go out snow, machining and skiing, what kind of weather should they probably avoid? What kind of conditions should they have? Where should they stay in town stay off the slopes, so they don’t get caught up in an avalanche?

[Stevens]Well, so probably the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe. Before you go into that country is sign up for an avalanche course we’re going to be offering avalanche rescue and level ones and level twos in Haines this year. So sign up for those courses. And you’re going to learn all the details about the red flags and conditions to avoid and how to keep yourself safe and reduce your risk. But in general, the worst time to go out the most dangerous time to go out into the mountains is during and right after a storm. So you know if nothing else, it’s best to give the snow some time to settle a little bit after a new storm. And that settling process will usually strengthen it to an extent it won’t be completely safe after a couple of days of settling, but it’ll be safer than during the storm.

[Wilks]And are those course courses offered free of charge.

[Stevens]We have some free awareness classes that we’ll be doing in Haines this winter. And those are great, you know, a couple of hours in the evening, general avalanche awareness and low level information. And also a little bit of Beacon practice as well that’ll be free. And then the level one and level two courses are three day courses. And those are paid courses, a much more in depth program teaching new skills to stay safe. And there’s also an avalanche rescue course which is a one day paid course. And that’s really the really essential class that everybody really should have taken. If you’re going to be in the mountains in the back country. You need to be wearing a beacon shovel and probe and you need to know how to use them. That means need to know how to take someone out in an avalanche rescue and that’s the skill you’re going to learn in that eight hour avalanche rescue course everyone should take that course and work in the working people sign up for that. If you go to Alaska snow.org That’s our website. And if you click on Learn, that’ll show you all of our course offerings for this
year.

[Wilks]And how often is that website going to be updated for people who like to check in?

[Stevens]So we just posted our first conditions update for October. We’re not going to start regular forecasting until mid November, most likely, it kind of depends on how the snow comes in and when and when the observations start coming in from the public. But usually by about mid November, we’ll start our regular forecasting, which this year we’re aiming for at least three forecasts per week.

[Wilks]Anything that you’d like to add?

[Stevens]No, I think that’s that’s about it.

[Wilks]All right, Erik Stevens, thank you very much for your time. Thank you.