Bulletin d’avalanche

San Francisco Peaks / Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Thu
Alpin
3 · Marqué
Limite forestière
3 · Marqué
Sous la limite
3 · Marqué
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 3 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

If the current weather forecast is realized or exceeded, expect rapidly rising instability and hazard to backcountry travelers.

Triggering an avalanche will be likely on loaded leeward slopes and terrain features at all elevations. Slopes steeper than 30° should be carefully assessed. Avoid cornices, convex pillows of wind-drifted snow, and steep slopes with a continuous surface of harder, rounded, and rippled snow. 

 For the safest backcountry experience, stick to below treeline slopes that are less than 30° steep. 

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Likely
    Taille
    1–2

    Wind-loaded, rounded, pillowed, rippled, and corniced slopes may have new and sensitive wind slabs. Exercise caution. All aspects should be suspect, but most south-southwesterly slopes may tend to have more wind scouring than loading today. The weather forecast suggests northwesterly slopes will have more scouring than loading by Thursday. 

    Below treeline, wind slabs will only be found in/near burn areas and places where the forest is more open (fewer trees).  

    Wind slab avalanches may step down, triggering larger persistent slab avalanches. 

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1.5–2.5

    With two weeks of rapid temperature changes and several storms, there is still some uncertainty about the upper snowpack of many difficult-to-access slopes of the Inner Basin. If any slopes have continuous and persisting weak layers, significant new snowfall may stress those layers to or near the point of failure. After significant snowfall, give the snowpack time to adjust and stabilize with the new load. KPAC recommends digging and observing the top 100-120cm of snowpack before committing to any avalanche paths near and above treeline. 

Avalanche Discussion

On Tuesday (Feb. 28) evidence of a crown line was observed on a northerly slope near Lockett Meadow Rd.  Elevation ~ 8000'. It appeared to be a relatively small avalanche, but large enough to sweep a person off their feet and into a tree. https://kachinapeaks.org/Observations/#/view/65f4c45c-80b1-4a51-bafd-5deb980d42dc

SupportIf every person that reads our forecast page donated just $10/year, then KPAC would be fully funded every season. https://kachinapeaks.org/Support

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