Unstable January Snowpack Causes Avalanches in Southcentral Alaska | Alaska Insight

Alaska Public Media | By Valerie Lake

Published January 20, 2023 at 8:00 PM AKST

Two men and a woman sit at a desk on a television set. — Alaska Insight host, Lori Townsend, talks with avalanche experts about snow conditions in Alaska.

Southcentral Alaska has seen an extreme mix of winter weather so far, and while Alaskans are eager to go explore the snow-covered mountains, avalanche danger is an ever-present threat in the Alaskan backcountry.

In this episode of Alaska Insight, Lori Townsend talks with avalanche experts Elliot Gaddy, a local guide and avalanche instructor, and John Sykes, a forecaster with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.

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Valerie Lake

Originally from the Central Coast of California, Valerie joined Alaska Public Media in July 2017. She creates original video content for the station's TV and digital platforms while also overseeing the Production Department. Before moving to Alaska, Valerie worked as an ENG Editor at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also served in the U.S. Air Force as a TV and Radio Broadcast Journalist where she traveled around Europe, Africa, The Baltics, Australia, and the Southern United States reporting on military events, exercises, and missions. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, backpacking, yoga, and traveling.

See stories by Valerie Lake