Interactive mapping helps identify avalanche risk areas across Southcentral

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU)- Avalanche danger is always prevalent in the Last Frontier, especially as temperatures fluctuate and snowpack becomes heavier and heavier during the winter season.

The Chugach Avalanche Center has released new Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale Mapping that can help to identify avalanche threats within the Chugach Range.

“I think the biggest value of this is that it’s available to the public for free on our website,” said avalanche forecaster John Sykes.

Such resources allow for individuals to weigh their options when traveling through mountain passes or just recreating in higher elevations. This interactive map highlights danger zones from a 1 to 5 scale, from ‘low’ avalanche threat to ‘extreme’ avalanche threat.

“It’s useful for people who are actively engaging in backcountry skiing and getting into the steep terrain,” Sykes said. “And it’s also useful for people who just want to avoid it and be a little more informed about where dangerous avalanche terrain exists in the first place.”

Through this interactive map, individuals can be better prepared and make more informed choices regarding what type of terrain they want to venture through based on different conditions.

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