Avalanche

Avalanche: Mount Naomi Wilderness

Ryan ChoiLogan
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Avalanche

Slab Width
14 m
Weak Layer
New Snow
Trigger Type
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
20 cm
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Start Zone Elevation
2438 m

Observed dozens of natural slides that occurred during the recent storm cycle yesterday (3/20/23). Natural crowns were seen on mostly N facing aspects, however some were found on W and E faces - all occurred between 7000'-9000'. Crowns varied in width to over 100', mostly occurring along slope convexities. Slides were all shallow in depth, but in places there was debris piled in terrain traps and some that ran through mature tree stands. Originally suspected that they slid on a recent buried melt crust, but it seemed that the failures occurred more as a storm snow density change in the upper layers. Also found some sensitive hard wind slabs occurring below exposed ridges that broke 10-12" on a hard buried crust.