Observation: NWAC Forecaster

All Observations

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
February 15, 2023
Submitted:
February 15, 2023
Observer:
NWAC Forecaster - Irene Henninger
Zone or Region:
West North
Location:
Schreibers (S, E, W, 3000-6500ft)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

Media/Attachments

The snowpack was mainly pencil hard, with knife hard crusts. The uppermost crust had a thin layer of mixed forms beneath it which failed with CTM in a neighboring pit but not this one. The crust above the MLK crust had 1F mixed forms beneath it, but no pit tests failed on that layer.
3mm surface hoar was intermittently present on snow surfaces
Near the center of the photo, below the summit, is a small (D1), shallow human triggered wind slab avalanche which likely occurred 2/14
A thick crust was rpesent near the surface most places we traveled. In a few locations, especially as we went higher towards 6000ft the crust was at the surface. This was due to variability with wind-effect.
A very small natural cornice triggered avalanche at 5500ft on Mt Baker.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Cloudy
Wind:
Calm

Occasional light variable breezes were noticed. Scattered skies with valley fog in the morning shifted to a rising cloud line sitting at 5000-600ft in the afternoon and obscured skies were present in that elevation band.

Snowpack Observations

All areas above ~5000ft were heavily wind affected, with a stout ~10cm crust present at the surface in some areas, but covered by on average up to 20cm in other areas. Occasional low density snow pockets were found.

In 3 pits we found numerous crusts with subtle weak layers by some of the crusts. One of the 3 pits got CTM SP beneath the thick top crust in a faceted layer, and ECTN on that layer. We didn't get any results in the other pits. Overall, aside from the thin slightly softer layers near the knife hard crusts, many of the layers were varying amounts of pencil hard.

We saw one small human triggered wind slab avalanche which likely occurred yesterday 2/14. One other very small cornice triggered avalanche may have occurred yesterday as well. Those were the only avalanches we saw. No cracking or collapsing or other red flags were present.