Back from a successful heliguide training session in Haines, we did a quick transect of the Juneau urban paths today to check for recent activity. As might be expected after two weeks of warm weather with frequent rain to the ridgetops in the Juneau area, we found only small wet point release avalanche activity. The slab cycle we recorded right at the end of February appears to have been the last one through the present.

Snowcover remains thick above 500 m but has melted rapidly below that level. Runnels, indicating heavy thaw, are visible to at least 1100 m. The upper limit of rain over the last two weeks is not known here. In the cooler Klehini River valley area north of Haines the snow level hovered in the 300 - 800 m level and snowfall at elevation was tremendous, but rain reached at least 1100 m much of the time in the Juneau area.

Though the snowpack at present is more typical of late April or early May in most years, it is still early in the season. Heavy snowfall at higher elevations is quite possible, and the bond to the melt freeze crust from the last warm period is likely to be weak. We plan to check field conditions at higher elevations Thursday.