Observation: NWAC Forecaster
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
January 9, 2023Submitted:
January 9, 2023Observer:
NWAC Forecaster - Irene HenningerZone or Region:
West CentralLocation:
Deer Creek (2000-5000ft, all )Signs of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
IsolatedCollapsing?
IsolatedMedia/Attachments
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Mostly CloudyWind:
Moderate , EModerate breeze all morning, which seemed to suddenly stop at 1400hrs when I began heading downhill. An overcast morning led to a couple hours of midday sun breaks and I may have gotten a sunburn. The distant dark clouds arrived by 3pm, and moderate rain began falling.
Snowpack Observations
Snowline began at approximately 2000ft. Snow was a thick, edgeable crust until 4000ft. All of a sudden a trace turned into at least 6 inches of new snow by 4500ft, which is the elevation where some open meadows started in the area I was traveling. It was hard to tell how much snow was over the crust, because it was so wind-affected at that elevation. I saw patches where the wind removed (stripped) snow, and thicker deposits where wind slabs were built up. Some deposits were up to 2' deep.
I traveled in areas where the wind had stripped the snow surfaces, and made my way to thicker pockets of trees, as I didn't want to be out in the middle of the open, steeper slopes. The thicker trees were still steep, and due to the irregular winds cause by the trees, small crossloaded wind slab pockets formed in the openings between them and I triggered several tiny pockets, 4" deep or less, and only a few feet wide. This was on a south-facing aspect. Once I gained the ridge, the opposite NW-facing side had lower angle terrain and small rollovers, and loading from the top of the slope. These toploaded features were slightly less obvious than the crossloaded ones. I stomped on a few more test slopes, getting results I expected of small wind slab pockets up to 6" deep failing. I then returning a similar way. While I was near the top, some sun breaks made the south-facing snow in the meadows I'd ascended heavier, and just barely moist.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wind Slab
|
|
I didn't see any natural avalanches, and I only triggered very small (<D.5) avalanches, up to 6" deep, on multiple small test slopes.