Avalanche

Avalanche: Chalk Creek

Bill NalliUintas
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Quick report

Slope Angle
39°

Avalanche

Slab Width
61 m
Weak Layer
Depth Hoar
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
213 m
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Slab Thickness
244 cm
Trigger Detail
Cornice Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
3139 m

We saw this large HS-NC-R2,D3-O from El Diablo Peak this morning at 09:15. Judging by the lack of new or wind blown snow on the bed surface it likely happen sometime late last night or early this morning from the increased SW wind. It is located on a NE aspect at 10,300' at the upper reaches of Mill Fork of Chalk Creek.

When zoomed in you can clearly see the missing piece of cornice and the depth of the slab. This slide is another repeater which last ran late January. It looks to have once again failed on the upper most layer of depth hoar that was not cleaned out during previous slides. This continues to be a theme with many of the large events in the Uintas this winter. Each event is failing at a deeply buried, relatively strong layer of facets but not eliminating them. Much weak snow remains in the bed surface and the combination of advanced facets and thin snowpack continues to provide the recipe for big delayed action avalanches. It has been over one week since the last significant new load to the pack and we are still seeing big slides initiated by big triggers.