Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Persistent slab issues at 3/12 weak layer remain my primary concern. This layer is buried down 60-75cm under a hefty slab that grades from F- at the top to 1F+ at the base. I got propagating ECT results in multiple tests in multiple snowpits on shaded, middle elevation slopes. It took a good bit of force to get down to the weak layer, but the slab did some alarming popping when I impacted it. I traveled through a lot of terrain and did not have any collapses involving this layer, the slab on top is thick enough here that getting one's weight down to it is not easy when on skis. Simple wind slabs appeared to only be problematic in the most favorably loaded slopes in very steep terrain. Wet problems were turning on in today's sun. 3/16 dust layer was accelerating this melting. This layer was dry initially but was picking up inbound solar (through the 15-20cm of snow on top) and melting while buried in the snowpack. I watched this happen live throughout the day, very neat. It would have been easy to push sizable wet slides in steep, rocky, solar terrain. We lost a lot of good skiing and riding out there.. I experienced minor cracking in the freshest batch of wind slabs. Slabs that cracked were max of 10cm thick, cracks extended a max of 10cm past my skis. I traveled through a lot of terrain and did not experience any collapsing.
Weather
Several hours of direct sun in the morning. Then a classic spring mix of convective showers and sunshine. Sun was intense when out (it is mid March after all).
Avalanche
- Size
- D2.5
- Count
- 3
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 8500 ft
Slab avalanche activity seemed to be focused around evening of 3/16 or early morning 3/17. Slabs broke widely, indicating likely 3/12 weak layer involvement. Winds and additional snowfall on 3/17 have masked some of this evidence.