Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Gary BrillObservation Date:
March 16, 2021Submitted:
March 16, 2021Zone or Region:
West NorthActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Mt. Baker/ Table Mountain vicinity.Observed Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Hard SlabSize:
Size 3: Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few treesElevation:
5800-5400'Aspect:
NComments:
Believe this to be about 2-5 days old or so judging by new snow on debris. Perhaps a 100,000 pound cornice dropped 50 feet onto a 40 degree slope and triggered a hard slab with a crown of maybe 2' on it's right side and 4-5' on it's left. A much older slab from about a 200 linear foot cornice collapse went to rock in an area that should have had 300" of snow.Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
Current stability is good on NW through NE aspects from 4200' to 5600'; however numerous huge cornices can be seen - likely the size of boxcars but with a density of compacted snow. We gave a spacing of up to 50 yards beneath a couple of cornices and glide cracks that are likely Ok right now?
Going forward the top few inches of recent snow is clearly faceted from the way it sluffs on slopes in the 35 degree and up range. Also high on north slopes there is a surface of hoar to 3mm or so mixed with strange little formations of rime to 1cm long and 4mm or so wide and tall spaced a bit. The way the skis slip when climbing on this surface indicates that these higher north slopes would not appreciate a load of heavier snow or slabs in future storms.
Today was cold enough that solar aspects I saw did not really mush up but rather just softened a couple - three inches at most. There were mostly just roller balls on steep solar aspects.