Lawinenlagebericht

San Francisco Peaks / Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

Triggering a wind slab avalanche will be possible on loaded leeward slopes and terrain features near and above treeline. Avoid cornices, convex pillows of wind-drifted snow, and slopes that have a continuous surface of rounded and rippled snow. 

At elevations below 10,000', generally low avalanche hazard exists. Small isolated pockets of instability may still be lurking, so avoid steep loaded slopes that are perched above gullies, canyons, and other terrain traps. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–2

    Southerly, southwesterly and westerly slopes will be most suspect for slabs from prolonged northeasterly winds. Today, southeasterly winds may build new slabs on leeward northwesterly slopes. Other aspects may get cross-loading. 

    Watch for chalky and funky feeling slabs where harder snow overlays softer snow. Wind slabs can also be very hard and may present a hollow drum-like sound as you traverse a slope. Retreat from steep slopes with shooting cracks. 

    Many slopes above and near treeline have been stripped of snow, but expect to find some slopes with new wind-deposited snow. Some near treeline northerly slopes may have survived the recent wind-stripping event. Telemark path on the north face of Fremont appeared to have an old wind slab that was not chewed up by the north winds. The cold temperatures will likely delay the bonding of wind slabs to the old snow surface. Pay close attention to the new/old snow interface. 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1.5–2.5

    Some slabs that overlay depth hoar/basal facets, have gained significant strength and are pencil+ hard. It will be difficult to deform those slabs and collapse the faceted layers (creating an avalanche). Also, these faceted layers near the ground have strengthened over the last few weeks. Given these developments, it is unlikely that a person will directly trigger a persistent slab avalanche. However, human-triggered wind slab avalanches may have enough force to step down, creating propagating failures in the weak layer of basal facets, resulting in larger avalanches. 

  • Cornices

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    Cornices have formed on some difficult-to-access ridgelines near and above treeline. Avoid traveling below or on top of cornices.  They break further back than ya think, as illustrated by the crack forming in the above cornice icon. 

Avalanche Discussion

We are 48 hours out since the last snow accumulated, but winds have moved snow for the last two days. 

Before the St. Valentine's Day Storm, some southerly slopes below 9500' were bare ground due to wind and melting. Previous winds had stripped some above treeline slopes down to rocks and cinders. 

The last known large avalanches occurred in mid-January during the MLK Storm Cycle. These large natural avalanches resulted from failures in the basal facets/depth hoar mentioned above. The last known avalanche occurred between January 23-27 and was a relatively small wind slab. 

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