Quick report
- Collapsing
- isolated
• Found another avalanche today that we missed earlier this week due to poor visibility in Path 1163. Looked like a wind slab that failed at the very top of the path and then debris ran to the bench at 4800’ terminating above the rail. Estimated it ran on Feb. 5th. Crown estimated at 100 m wide and about 100 cm thick at the max end. SS-N-R2-D2-I. • No other avalanches observed. • Snow depths from the Jan. 31 to Feb. 5 storms ranged from 8-10” on the Canyon floor and 12-20+” above 6000’. • Wind loading earlier this week was heavy. Dunes 2-4+ feet thick have formed up on the ridgelines and wind slabs are found at all elevations. • Dug a hasty pit just above the Burnout avalanche path at 5200’ on an east aspect. Found poor structure developing with the late-Jan. facets now buried under 10-12” of recent snow. New snow was not cohesive enough yet and propagation wasn’t there. See pit profile below. • Dug another hasty pit in Shed 7 West at 6600’ on a SE aspect. The late-Jan. facets are buried under a 20” slab. But again, no propagation (ECTN15 on the late-Jan. facets) as the slab was not cohesive enough at this time. • We had one audible collapse near the top of the snowshed down at 4500’.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Recent Snowfall
- 1
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
• Cold, single digit °F temperatures with light NE winds up at the ridge top. • Mostly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly clear by late afternoon with sunshine. No precipitation.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R2
- Type
- SS
- Aspect
- SW
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 7200 ft
Obs on Feb. 7th