Avalanche

Avalanche: Chili Peak

Doug WewerOgden
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Avalanche

Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
610 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
New Snow

Thanks Bill, Lee and Ron for the heads up on this large avalanche cycle so I could get some photos from across the valley today. I may not have spotted them otherwise.

Photos below show a widespread natural avalanche cycle that occurred on the east side of Chilly Peak, the Chilly Peak slabs, and Zero G Chute. I did my best to try and outline the most prominent crowns and debris toes. But there are too many to show them all. It appears some ran earlier in the storm, as they appear to be covered with new snow. Zero G appears to have ran late in the cycle as the debris looks crisper and fresher. I'm guessing that the slides ran on the new/old Snow interface. But it's possible it ran with the density inversion combined with high PI rates. Looks like Zero G ran about 1800 to 2000 foot vertical, likely not stopping not too far above the groomed cross country trails.

Close-up of the starting zones for multiple slides.