Huntington Ravine

We went to Huntington Ravine specifically to assess the sensitivity and distribution of new wind slabs associated with the Jan 26 storm and any continued snow available for transport since then. Conditions were clear with generally light winds, and strong solar input was apparent (radiant warmth on skin).

• Gullies and surfaces above 4,800 ft looked scoured and heavily wind impacted, while The Fan held more snow. The increase in snow height from the Jan 26 storm was most noticeable at the bottom of the fan and less pronounced higher on the fan. Large boulders are now covered at the bottom of the fan. 
• Using an avalanche probe and spot checks, I found a cohesive pencil-hard layer roughly 20–40 cm thick.
• Lower on the fan, there was typically 20–50 cm of softer (1F) snow beneath that pencil-hard layer. Moving higher up the fan, that softer layer thinned progressively until the structure was mostly pencil-hard snow over facets over a hard, thick melt-freeze crust.
• A distinct 1–2 cm faceted layer was present immediately above the crust.
• I did not observe obvious cracking/collapsing, and quick stability checks did not show propagation on the facet layer.

Upper elevation terrain in Huntington showed obvious evidence of strong winds, with scoured, wind-affected surfaces above 4,800 ft and greater snow retention on the fan, especially lower down where storm snow from Jan 26 appeared most concentrated. Based on what I saw in the areas assessed, triggering an avalanche on the fan would be unlikely, but not impossible. A thin spot with similar structure on a steeper, more unsupported slope would increase the likelihood of triggering, particularly where the slab is thinner and a skier’s weight can more easily transmit stress to the weak layer. After several very cold days with limited sun, today’s solar input likely contributed to increased settlement in the upper snowpack, particularly on south facing aspects.