Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- isolated
We traveled to the nothern Flathead Range, where recent snow made the approach tolerable and the trail-breaking arduous:
- Found 1-1.5 ft of recent snow on top of the "January Junkshow"
- Only experienced isolated cracking and collapsing on this layer along a wind-exposed ridge above 6000'
- Noticed small (D1) natural avalanches that failed within the recent snow above 6000'
- Easily triggered many small (D1) avalanches on the same layer between 5400' and 6300' on slopes exposed to wind.
- Calm winds with just a solitary light gust from the southwest. Did not see blowing snow on the nearby peaks or faces.
We chose to stick to mostly low-angle slopes, skiing one at a time on short steep features. The exit required some defensive skiing through brush and blowdown: goggles down, tips up!
Weather
- Air Temp
- 18
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- none
- Rain Elevation
- 0
- Recent Snowfall
- 30
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Calm wind with light gust. Periods of S-1 with some clearing. Temps warmed throughout the day.
Snowpack
- Most action on precipitation particles down 10-20 cm
- 1/31 interface consists of 1 mm facets down 30-50 cm, several faceted crusts below.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1 R1
- Type
- SS
- Count
- 4
- Aspect
- SE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 6100 ft
Noticed 3 small (D1) natural avalanches in the storm snow above 6000'. Triggered many small (D1) avalanches in the storm snow between 5400'-6000' Avalanche events to follow.