Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
I observed multiple natural avalanches that released in wind-loaded areas during the post-Christmas storms. I encountered small recent wind slabs at the snow surface, but I expect these to bond quickly. Slabs (1-3' thick) over mid-December weak layers of crusts and facets are concerning in steep terrain.
Avalanche refers to an explosive-triggered slide on the shoulder of Peak 2 (12/30). I observed no collapsing and only isolated cracking with limited off-trail riding/skiing.Weather
- Air Temp
- 5 to 15F
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Rain Elevation
- n/a
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
-11F near Fairfield. It was in the single digits to mid-teens F on the mountain. Clear skies with some thin clouds building out the west in the afternoon. Light wind from the W and NW.
Snowpack
Multiple generations of wind slab of various hardness and thickness exist in middle and upper-elevation terrain. These slabs sit atop a mostly strong snowpack down to the mid-December weak layers (12/7-12/13), which are very close together and/or essentially one layer here. The overall slab depth to these layers is 40-80 cm. These layers produced the explosive-triggered slide on (12/30) and likely the others seen in the vicinity.
These layers cap ~30 cm of faceted snow at the ground on shaded middle-elevation slopes. On sunnier slopes, the layers looked quite strong and were well bonded to crusts.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2
- Count
- 6
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- AE
- Elevation
- 8400 ft
Natural avalanche activity was in obviously wind-loaded areas, lee to W and NW wind. Explosives triggered slide was also wind-loaded but not as obvious. Slide depths indicate recent storm snow and mid-December (12/7-12/13) involvement. Some looked to have gone early in the storm. The Soldiers' biggest precip day was Friday (12/27), followed by extreme NW wind.