Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
The surface snow was thick and heavy but smooth and predictable. Several signs pointed towards the potential for avalanches failing near the base of the most recent storm snow. This included small natural avalanches, a shooting crack on a test slope, and propagating snowpack test results. While ski cutting a small test slope, a shooting crack propagated out in front of my skis through the entire traverse, but the slope did not release.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Rain Elevation
- 5000
- Recent Snowfall
- 35
Socked in. Nearly no visibility. Light to moderate W winds in exposed areas, but no blowing snow.
Snowpack
As we traveled, hand shears routinely failed easily about 12-15 inches (30-40cm) below the snow surface. Then they started to fail as I was isolating the block. This promoted us to poke a little more. Tilt tests popped easily and cleanly, and 3 different large column tests (ECT) failed and propagated across the entire block (ECTP 12, 13, 12 respectively). Subsequent small slope tests also produce shooting cracks but no avalanches. Propagating snowpack tests, shooting cracks, and natural avalanches all pointed to one thing for us, dangerous conditions. We had already selected very simple terrain where we could easily avoid larger avalanche paths and all this information confirmed our decision.
Avalanche
-We heard one natural avalanche in the Sluiskin Falls area around 1330hrs but could not see it. -Several small natural storm slab avalanches occurred on road cuts along the valley road just east of Paradise. They were about 12" deep and looked like they failed very early this morning. SS-N-D1-R3-I, 5400ft, ESE aspect. Other natural storm slabs occurred along the Paradise Rd paths (Indian Rock and Cascades) SS-U-D1-R2-I, 5000ft W and S aspects. -Other small natural wet loose avalanches were also observed below 4200ft.