Avalanche — Matanuska Valley, Alaska

2021-04-04 · Matanuska Valley, Alaska

Event narrative

Avalanche observer from the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center reported 5 avalanches between these 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM. One of the avalanches was estimated to be a D3 to D3.5 sized avalanche and crossed both the upper and lower road to Hatcher Pass. A avalanche has not covered the lower road to Hatcher Pass since at least 1980. Road was closed at 21:30 the night before due to avalanche danger.

Wider weather episode

A long fetch of moisture brought west-to-southwest flow aloft into Southwest and Southcentral Alaska April 2-4. Lower elevations of Southcentral were rain, but higher elevations received a large amount of heavy, wet snow.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 941630. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.