Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
6,500’, E aspect. Significant and large shooting cracks in a new, actively forming, and relatively thin (5-10”) wind slab. This layer also failed on isolation in hand shears. These wind slabs failing on a density change within storm snow roughly 5-10” down from the snow surface. Slabs were slightly harder (4F+) than weak layer (F). The weak layer was less wind affected, a mix of intact and wind broken snow grains. The bed surface/layer below the weak layer was an older wind slab above a supportable crust. In this location, I found poor bonding to this crust, with hand shears failing on light pressure and some cracking under skis.
Avalanche
6,500’, E aspect. Two intentionally triggered wind slab avalanches on small test slopes. SS-AS-R1-D1-S