Quick report
We had several reports of a large avalanche in the Negatives Cirque in the June Lake backcountry so I went to look around. I saw evidence of at least 10 different large avalanches that likely occurred around 1/4-1/5 after big snow and extreme wind loading. Most of the observed slides had characteristics of very large, persistent slab avalanches, including large crowns and wide propagation around terrain features connecting bowls.
The Negatives Cirque slid essentially side to side and top to bottom with the toe of the debris ending in the flats of Yost Meadow.
Carson Bowl and Pete's Dream also both slid essentially side to side and full track.
My best guess would be that these avalanches occurred after the snow and during the extreme wind loading event on 1/5. I'm fairly confident that they ran on or in old snow and were possibly triggered by smaller wind slabs near the ridgelines.
I observed evidence of numerous past avalanches. I stomped on stubborn old wind slabs with no results. Moderate to strong winds were actively reloading slopes, but not at the rate of the wind event on 1/5.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 25
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Rain Elevation
- NA
- Recent Snowfall
- none
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
My day started mostly sunny, cool and with light SW winds. By the time I was wrapping up, skies were mostly cloudy, and winds were moderate gusting to strong. Snow was being blown around and deposited on lee slopes.
Avalanche
- Size
- D3
- Count
- 3
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 10600 ft
Ample, multi-drainage evidence of a persistent slab avalanche cycle that likely occurred on 1/4-1/5.