Quick report
• Another 4-10” thick, soft slab ran on a steep cut bank above the Middle Fork sometime last night. Failure layer looks to be depth hoar at the ground. • Visibility was much improved this morning and observed several avalanches in Railway terrain that ran sometime during the storm. Most events appeared to be wind slabs failing on the storm interface. All debris terminated well above the grade. o Multiple crowns in Path 1163 above 6000’ and seemed to be concentrated on the western side of the path. Crown thickness varied from 10-20+” with some running at least a couple hundred feet wide. Destructive size 1s and maybe some D2s. o Multiple shallower crowns in the very upper reaches of Shed 10 above 7000’. o A thicker (est. 2-3’ at thickest) wind slab ran in the upper reaches (est. around 6500’) of Shed 9. Visibility of this terrain from the Hwy is very limited. • Other observed avalanches outside of the Railway terrain included: o A larger crown (D2+?) above Shields Creek on Snowslip Mtn, around 6800’ on an E aspect. o A couple D1.5 size crowns on a NE aspect above Devil Creek around 7000’ on the Devils Hump. • Trace of snow overnight with wind-loading finally tapering off and then gradually confined to ridge crests above 6500’ today with minimal transport.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- previous
• Awoke to mostly clear skies with occasional thin fog above 6000’. No precipitation. • Absolutely frigid. Overnight lows around -30 °F on the Canyon floor and down to -40 °F at upper elevations. It hasn’t warmed up much this afternoon.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R1
- Type
- SS
- Count
- 6
- Aspect
- E
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 6500 ft
Visibility improved and could finally see into upper elevation terrain. Plenty of crowns above 6000'. That depth hoar layer on the Canyon floor keeps producing on steep cut banks.