Name:
Andy Goodwin
Observation Date:
January 17, 2022
Submitted:
January 17, 2022
Zone or Region:
West South
Activity:
Walking/Hiking
Location:
Mt St Helens Worm Flows Climbing Route
Did you observe any avalanches?
Yes
Avalanche Type:
Other
Size:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to people
Elevation:
4200-5800'
Aspect:
E
Comments:
One cornice failure made a pile of snow 3-5 feet deep, 20 feet long, and ten feet wide. It fell into the canyon on the east side of the climbing route at about 5300'
Other cornices, that are in the process of failing, include snow that climbers are walking on.
None reported
Repeated freeze thaw cycles are causing large cornices, from previous storms, to fail. The failures are right along the Worm Flows route above the canyon that leads to Chocolate falls. A large cornice that fell this morning moved enough snow to be a significant risk if a skier had been below. Other failing areas include a path being used by climbers.
The Rim cornice is now about 20 feet wide. It has not seen enough of the warm temps to be compromised, but 3-5 feet of the outer margin is over 1800' of air.
No other avalanche signs (including loose wet) were seen on January 16 and 17.