Quick report
HS ranging from 150-280cm at top of Powder 8 Face. Good stability where we skied. NE aspects were wind-scoured with some cross-loading, while SE aspects above 8,500' were excellent ski quality. Good stability where we skied.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 11
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- moderate
- Recent Snowfall
- 3
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Cold temps, moderate to strong winds out of the NE overnight, and sunny skies today.
Snowpack
Overall, our upper snowpack has good stability. Many skiers and riders have been stepping out into bigger terrain, myself included. However, it gives me pause to see a large naturally released avalanche that most likely stepped down into our mid-December PWL.
Avalanche
- Size
- D2 R2
- Type
- HS
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 10000 ft
Others will report this avalanche as well, here are my observations: This dangerous avalanche likely occurred in the afternoon, evening, or overnight on Jan 8th. SS-N-R3-D2.5-O. A newer wind slab likely failed with wind loading from the NE, then stepped down into an old snow interface. We used binoculars to look at the crown, flanks, and debris piles from the NN Divide. We estimated the crown to be 4-6 feet deep, and 100-150 feet wide. The avalanche ran full track from its crown failure, and we estimated the debris pile to be 4-6 feet deep. The debris would have easily buried a car, snapped trees, and would likely have seriously injured or killed a human. This natural avalanche is a reminder that we are not out of the woods yet regarding our persistent weak layers or deep slab instabilities.