Quick report
• The avalanche in Jakes ran sometime between 1630 and 1830 hours yesterday. o It was a wet loose that initiated in the recent Mar 10th/11th storm snow at the top of the path around 5000’ (photo). o A few hundred feet down, the debris gouged down into a layer of weak rounding facets (pit profile) which increased the destructive size to a D2. o Associated debris was about 200’ wide and 1-4’ deep (photo) and terminated within 200 lineal feet of the rail, or about 80% distance to the grade. • Observed avalanche activity today was limited to more D1-D1.5 wet loose on steep slopes such as Shed 12, the Shed 4D Cutbank, and other steep cutbanks above the highway. No debris affecting the rail. • Freezing levels climbed to somewhere between 6400’ and 7000’ elevation today. • High elevation winds were strong, and plumes of drifting snow were noted off the summit of Elk Mountain and other terrain features taller than 7000’.
Weather
• Partly sunny in the morning, turning mostly cloudy, then fully overcast by late afternoon. • No precipitation until about 1600 hours when very light rain began, and it has been steady since then. • Daytime high temperatures reached the high-40s °F on the Canyon floor, the mid-30s °F at 6400’, and 29 °F at 7000’.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R3
- Type
- WL
- Aspect
- S
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 5000 ft
Initiated in surface wet snow but then gouged down deeper into the snowpack