Quick report
We visited the southern Whitefish Range to examine a natural slab avalanche on the popular side-country run Skook Face.
- The avalanche occurred on the skier's right side of the broad Skook Face, where the slope angle pushes 40 degrees. Debris was large enough to bury or injure a human. Please see the avalanche tab for more information.
- We noted multiple slabs and loose slides in the Skook Chutes from recent warming. The generally thin snowpack limited the slides' travel distance and destructive size. Please see the avalanche tab for more information.
- The thin snowpack on the Skook Face was an eye-opener. The lack of a well-defined cornice line on Skook Ridge at this time of year is unheard of.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 40
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- none
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
Temperature inversion with balmy conditions early in the morning at mid and upper elevations. Light wind kept the snow slightly cooler in the open compared to sheltered terrain.
Snowpack
- This morning, southern aspects in the shade at mid-elevations had up to a 12" supportable surface crust. Today's sunshine quickly destroyed the integrity of this crust in areas receiving direct solar, resulting in a deep, mushy mess. This afternoon, this crust became breakable on southwest aspects that had yet to receive sun.
- At upper elevations, northerly aspects had a thin 1-3 cm breakable surface crust.
- Our snowpit on a north aspect at 6650' revealed a depth of 155 cm. The entire pack was moist, and the crusts were decomposing.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R2
- Type
- WS
- Count
- 3
- Aspect
- S
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 6000 ft
Multiple wet loose and wet slab avalanches were observed on southerly slopes from the recent warm weather.