Quick report
- Slope Angle
- 37°
Avalanche
- Slab Width
- 18 m
- Weak Layer
- New Snow
- Trigger Type
- Natural
- Vertical Fall
- 213 m
- Avalanche Type
- Soft Slab
- Start Zone Aspect
- Northeast
- Avalanche Problem
- New Snow
- Start Zone Elevation
- 3048 m
Saw two avalanches in West Monitor, both seemed to be naturals, new snow soft slabs. The first one was right in the gut of West Monitor, crown was blown in hard to tell the depth probably 60ft wide, pulled out about 75ft down from the peak, and the debris ran to the flats in the bottom. Photos, first slide and debris.
FORECASTER COMMENTS: I was with Mark when we viewed these avalanches. The larger one perhaps failed in facets that formed late November-early December, but as Mark said, hard to tell for sure. It is very possible it was just a weakness within the newest snow layers, as we've seen recently.
Second pocket was smaller a shallow wind slab that released right off the skiers left corner pocket, this one was a little fresher not positive if someone triggered it walking the ridge or if it was a natural cornice drop that triggered it. dimensions are for the larger slide.