Quick report
- Cracking
- widespread
- Collapsing
- widespread
Signs of instability were widespread, including cracking, collapsing and a small skier triggered avalanche in wind loaded terrain. These signs of instability were more prominent where old snow exists below recent storm snow, and in wind affected areas.
On solar slopes where recent snow fell onto bare ground, cracking and collapsing was confined to the new snow over the sagebrush. Where old snow exists below recent snowfall, collapses and cracking were larger and more pronounced. On a north-facing slope at 7300' I remotely triggered a small avalanche. This slope was wind loaded and broke 1-3' thick and 150' wide.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Rain Elevation
- 6500
- Recent Snowfall
- 35cm since 12/25
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Overcast skies and consistent S1-S2 snow showers. Precipitation was a mixture of snow and rain near, 6500' (Mostly rain in Stanley). Moderate-strong S winds, decreased by 1:00PM.
Snowpack
New snow and HS: Snow totals since 12/25 is ~35 cm. Below 7000' snowfall over the last 24 hours is more dense and moist than the snow from the start of the storm. HS ranged from 35cm at low elevations to ~75cm in wind sheltered areas above 7000'.
Weak layers: On shaded slopes below 7000', new snow sits above 10-15cm of faceted snow. (NW, 6900', ECTP7). Above 7000', the 12/7 & 12/13 weak layer produced unstable results in stability tests (E, 7300', HS 78, ECTP11 @25).
I remotely triggered a small avalanche on a north-facing wind loaded slope at 7300'. This avalanche failed on facets near the ground above a stiff crust, likely on mid-December weak layers.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1 R2
- Type
- HS
- Aspect
- N
- Trigger
- AS
- Elevation
- 7300 ft
A skier remotely triggered this avalanche from a ridgeline above. The slope was wind loaded, and the avalanche was triggered while stepping onto a small cornice. This avalanche failed on the mid-December weak layers.