Observation: NWAC Forecaster

All Observations

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
February 17, 2023
Submitted:
February 17, 2023
Observer:
NWAC Forecaster - Irene Henninger
Zone or Region:
West North
Location:
Heather Meadows (4200-4500ft)

Signs of Unstable Snow

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

Media/Attachments

Forest Service Backcountry Ranger Pete Durr is using a small test slope to see if any snow will slide. Only shallow sluffs, or dry loose avalanches, occurred in the top few inches.
Avalanche Awareness Class for Glacier Snowshoe Volunteer and FS employees program. Afternoon at Heather Meadows.
About a foot of right side up snow sat over a crust relatively uniformly in the Heather Meadows Area on 2/17
Volunteer Snowshoe participants practicing their probing skills in the Baker backcountry. The snowpack here was about 3m deep.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Overcast
Temperature:
27°F
Wind:
Light , S
New/Recent Snowfall:
15cm, variable

S-1 (very light snowfall) fell during the afternoon. Light winds weren't redistributing snow where we were. Top ~15cm of snow was mainly light, F to 4F.

Snowpack Observations

I took a walk to Grandma's House with the Glacier Forest Service Volunteer Snowshoers and Forest Service Employees. We found a right-side-up snowpack with a crust (5cm, 2 inches) around a foot down. The snow was well bonded to the crust, and hand pits didn't identify any failure planes in the soft snow layers or at the crust interface. Using small test slopes we could only produce very small sluffs, or dry loose avalanches. No cracking or other signs of instability found.

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