Avalanche forecast

San Francisco Peaks / Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Southwest winds dominated the last storm cycle, and triggering a wind slab avalanche will be possible on loaded leeward slopes and terrain features near and above treeline. Several smaller skier and naturally triggered avalanches were reported on Thursday and Friday. Avoid cornices, convex pillows of wind-drifted snow, and steep slopes with a continuous surface of harder, rounded, and rippled snow.  At elevations below 10,000', generally low avalanche hazard exists. Small isolated pockets of instability may still lurk, so stay alert, avoiding steep loaded slopes perched above gullies, canyons, and other terrain traps.

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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    During the midweek storm, winds were generally out of the southwest and loading leeward aspect and terrain features, resulting in several natural and human-triggered avalanches on Thursday. Although avalanche danger has decreased over the last few days and will continue to decrease, pockets of instability are likely still present across the peaks.

    Several wind slab-related avalanches were reported Thursday due to new snow being loaded onto steeper leeward slopes. Two of these avalanches were wind slabs on Rustler Peak. One was a natural, likely occurring on 3/15, which was 15' wide and about 12" thick running down the east face (see photo). The other was larger, and human triggered (on 3/16) from a skin track on the ridge. This crown was 150' wide and 6-24" thick, running 700' to the bottom on Humphreys Cirque.  

    (3/16/2023)

    Human tirggered from the ridge in skin mode, crown 150' wide (to first rock)  6"-24" thick, running 700' to the bottom on the cirque. 

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