Quick report
We went down to Carson Spur to investigate an avalanche that destroyed cabins and outbuildings on the night of March 2nd (see the attached avalanche observation for details). We saw the debris and destroyed buildings and saw numerous signs of intense wind-loading and wind-affected snow in the area. However, we saw no lingering signs of wind slab instability today. We did notice that the snow on the NE aspects near the ridges remains soft enough that a moderate to strong E or NE wind could pick it up and transport it to the other side of the ridge. Cloudy skies and moderate temperatures also kept wet snow instabilities unlikely.
Like other areas, we found variable snow conditions with wind-affected snow in open areas at all elevations, some thin crusts on slopes that had seen the sun, and some lingering soft snow in very sheltered and shady spots.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 32 to 35 ° F
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
The sky bounced between partly sunny and mostly cloudy with the occasional snow flurry. Temperatures remained mild but not hot, and winds mainly remained calm.
Avalanche
- Size
- D3 R4
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 8600 ft
This avalanche released during the night of March 2. It failed when the wind slab that built up during the storm broke free from the old snow surface. It destroyed cabins and buried the road (Hwy 88). It ripped one cabin off its foundation and moved it at least 15 -20 feet towards the road. Another cabin and several outbuildings were flattened. While these cabins had sustained avalanche damage in the past, they had not been destroyed like this before. We investigated the avalanche on March 7 and found the 4+ foot crown mostly filled in and no lingering signs of instability.