Observation: NWAC Forecaster
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 19, 2022Submitted:
December 20, 2022Observer:
NWAC Forecaster - Josh HirshbergZone or Region:
Stevens PassLocation:
Lanham Lake (3,000-5,560ft, E, N)Signs of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedMedia/Attachments
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
ObscuredTemperature:
15°FWind:
Light , WNew/Recent Snowfall:
28cmVery cold with light snowfall. Previous blowing snow overnight subsided to only light gusts.
We triggered a few small loose avalanches in the new snow.
Snowpack Observations
New snow that fell in the past 24hrs was very light and uncohesive.
Wind features at 5,500ft ridge were easy to trigger.
12/18 surface hoar was most pronounced where in rested on older wind-drifted slabs. Elsewhere it sank into the very soft layers above and below. Profiles in wind-sheltered locations found very soft snow above and below the 12/18 interface made it difficult to discern potential buried weak layers, including SH.
Profile, E, 5,560ft
HS 121cm, HST, 27cm
Boot pen- 40cm
94-93cm: F hard, SH, 3.0mm, fast and clean tilt test, CT4 (PC), ECTN 4, 12/18 interface
25-33cm: 4F+ hard, MF(FCxr), 1.0-1.5mm, CTH 24(SC), ECTX, 11/22 interface (mid-Nov Facets)
Tests produced either no results, breaks, or resistant planar results on both 12/9 and 12/8 interfaces
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dry Loose
|
|
Layer Depth/Date: 28cm Weak Layer(s): Dec 18, 2022 (SH) |
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Wind Slab
|
|
Weak Layer(s):
Dec 18, 2022 (SH)
|