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Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center ’09 Season Review
“The Season of Change”
By Tom Mattice

As the smoke from the Alaska Department of Transportation (AKDOT) 105mm Howitzer settles on the Gastineau Channel this sunny April day, I start to gather my thoughts for TAR ’09 Season in Review Article. With over 4.3 meters of snow currently on the ground at our local University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) snow study plot, and nearly that much in our mountain starting zones, the season is anything but over.

It has been an interesting year for the Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center (SAAC). Late last spring the city of Juneau lost power due to a huge avalanche that downed multiple towers along the Snettisham power line corridor. This event renewed interest within the community in regards to avalanches and avalanche safety. Since then the power company hired Bill Glude at Alaska Avalanche Specialists (AAS) to run a season long forecasting and mitigation program for them. Last fall the City of Juneau, the primary funding source for SAAC, decided to hire an Avalanche Forecaster to create urban avalanche forecasts for the community. The Avalanche Forecasters other responsibilities include community education, working with local Search and Rescue Groups, and fund raising for avalanche related projects. At that time Bill Glude (contact: ), the SAAC Executive Director, decided to step down and the SAAC Board of Directors chose to mothball the center and standby in hopes of working with the city in a “Friends Of” capacity in support of the cities new avalanche program.

The City of Juneau has a unique location, dramatic topography, and coastal weather patterns with the potential to create the largest urban avalanche disaster in the United States. Juneau has 62 houses, one hotel, two sections of expressway, two sections of the state highway, eight residential streets, and a boat harbor all located in avalanche zones. The city is at sea level and the mountains looming over the urban areas summit at around 1000m. The difficult part of creating an accurate forecast here is the huge spatial variability in the region and very limited weather data for the areas of concern. It is also quite difficult to access starting zone elevations in the rugged mountains without a helicopter. This distinct urban setting provides challenges that foster the need for a cooperative forecasting program.

Upon my arrival to Juneau in November I realized that in order to create a forecast for the urban areas I would need to gather data from various places around the region. I contacted the SAAC Board of Directors and was informed that there were three entities currently working full time within the regions avalanche terrain, creating avalanche forecasts, and performing mitigation as needed. The AKDOT also performs mitigation for the Thane Road in town via the 105mm Howitzer and yet has no forecaster. I immediately approached the areas specialists Brian Davies, Eaglecrest Ski Area Director of Snow Safety; Jamie Pierce, Kensington Gold Mine Avalanche Safety Director; Bill Glude, Owner of AAS working on contract for Alaska Electric Light & Power; and Greg Patz, Chief of Maintenance and Operation for AKDOT. My goal in reaching out to them was to get them cooperatively involved in the Avalanche Center and create data sharing within the region. After conferring with Rod Swope, the City Manager I decided to offer my services to the SAAC in order to create a regional avalanche forecast. Shortly thereafter I was appointed as the Executive Director for the SAAC.

During the course of this winter the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) and SAAC have participated in multiple training exercises. The Eaglecrest Ski Area hosted a multi-agency, hands on, avalanche rescue exercise that included participation from groups such as SAAC, Capitol City Fire and Rescue (CCFR), Eaglecrest Ski Patrol, Juneau Ski Patrol, Juneau Mountain Rescue (JMR), Southeast Alaska Dogs on Ground Search Team (SEADOGS), Juneau Snowmobile Club Rescue Team, and the Kensington Mine Avalanche Safety Team.  CBJ held an urban avalanche tabletop exercise for all department directors and City EMS providers. SAAC, AAS, and CBJ provided multiple training sessions including table top exercises for CCFR. CBJ and SAAC participated in multiple field training days with outside search and rescue groups such as SEADOGS, JMR. SAAC provided a companion rescue lecture for The Juneau Snowmobile Club.  CBJ and SAAC also held community neighborhood discussions about the avalanche danger and protocols for periods of high danger. The community is making great strides in its preparation for a major avalanche disaster.

To fulfill our educational mission SAAC provided awareness courses for the general public throughout the region. We were fortunate this year to have Eaglecrest Professional Ski Patroller Jason Kohlhase donate his time to deliver a community wide awareness program to our fifth grade classes. Bill Glude of AAS continued teaching SAAC offered level I and Level II courses through UAS as well as a Heliguide course through Alaska Heliskiing.

Southeast Alaska was blessed this year to have one of our best snow seasons on record. The Eaglecrest Ski Area recorded 446.1” of snow this season, nearing their previous record of 469.65” set two years ago. The region saw long periods of consistent cold weather and excellent stability with very few exceptions. From mid December to early April there were only three events that brought above freezing temperatures and extreme avalanche hazards to our starting zone elevations. On January 12 we saw our first big warming trend that brought rain to the upper areas of the mountains causing the Snettisham power line to once again be downed by an avalanche. The low ceiling and poor visibility created “no fly” conditions that prohibited mitigation efforts. In February the AKDOT was caught by surprise when a natural avalanche crossed and temporarily closed Thane Road. During the last week of March we experienced another period of high instability with no major notable events. We had a few near misses in the region with backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers taking unwelcome rides in avalanches but all things considered it was a safe and amazing winter!

The SAAC Board of Directors saw many positive changes this winter. It was our good fortune to have Greg Patz, AKDOT; Tom Ainsworth, National Weather Service; Jamie Pierce, Director of the Kensington Mine Avalanche Program; and Mike Janes from AAS all join the Board of Directors.

The Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center is already looking forward to next season. We have planned two city wide awareness programs for school children. The National Weather Service will be donating its time to teach an introductory level awareness course for the younger kids and the SAAC will be teaching an upper level awareness course for older students.

It has been a year of great change and renewed energy here in Southeast Alaska. We are looking forward to a safe and bright future!

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY: The Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Center. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, disability, user group, veteran status, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships, and other Center administered programs.