Quick report
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: Avalanche Type: Wind Slab Failure Plane/Weak Layer: Top of sun crust from before storm Crown: 16” x 75’ Avalanche path: 750’ Trigger: Skier Trigger Modifier: Accidentally Triggered Start Zone Slope Angle: 32-34 degrees Aspect: East Starting Elevation: 8,750’ - 50’ below ridgeline Destructive Size: D1 Relatively harmless to people < 200 cu m Crown Height: 16” People Involved: Number of people caught: One person and one dog Burial & Injuries: None, Skier knocked over. Dog carrier 400’ down avalanche path. Elevation of Observation: 8,000-9,000 ft. Conditions Alerts: Avalanche Activity Recent Loading Recent Loading›Blowing Snow Recent Loading›More Than a Foot of New Snow Signs of instability Warming Terrain Alerts: Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees Obvious Slide Path Terrain Matches the Advisory
Weather
- Air Temp
- 27
- Cloud Cover
- scattered
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Recent Snowfall
- 6" last 24 hours, 3' in last five days
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Partially sunny. 10-15 degrees warmer than yesterday. About 27 degrees. Elevation of Observation: 8,000-9,000 ft. Wind Direction: West Wind Speed: Light Sky Cover: Partially sunny Air temperature: Below Freezing
Snowpack
The trigger zone was wind loaded with 16" of snow on top the crust prior to the current storm cycle.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R2
- Type
- SS
- Aspect
- SE
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 8500 ft
We toured the bottom section of Avalanche bowl after the roll over skiers left of Wolf track. We had previously skied a chute 600’ lookers right of the slide path. We observed old slide paths with new snow 8” deep. We saw no other signs of instability since the snow fall in the last 24 hours. There was also an old crown lookers right of the slide path. One skier triggered the avalanche and traversed to the side. He was knocked over, but not buried. A fifty pound dog was carried about 500’ down the avalanche path and was able to extract himself.