Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Hough-Snee, et al.Observation Date:
March 16, 2022Submitted:
March 17, 2022Zone or Region:
East CentralActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Icicle CreekTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
6500'Aspect:
EComments:
Traveling on ridgelines and lower angle E/SE NTL terrain, we were able to generate substantial wet loose slides from cornice drops and slow skintrack cuts WL-ASc-R1-D2 and WL-ASc-R1-D1.5.Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
It's mid-March and the sun is getting strong. Solar aspects were melted out (debris paths aside) as high as 5000', creeks are open or opening, and cold smoke becomes hot pow as one crosses from true north to anything receiving sunlight. Pleasant post-storm travel and skiing can be found ATL and NTL, but not without the usual seasonal variety of surfaces and temperatures. On both NW and E aspects we found buried surface hoar 35-40cm down with a variety of crusts and weak snow layers beneath, demarcating recent storms and high pressure. The early-March crust is apparent, but did not jump out as much as the surface hoar forms that failed with CTs in the 11-13 range. While the slab is relatively small on top of these layers, we travelled as if we didn't trust them (because we didn't) and skied enjoyable, sun sheltered, lower-angle terrain .
Ski cuts on solar (E/SE) aspects at 6500' entrained wet grains into wet loose slides to D2, but failed to activate any slabs. This highlights the spatial variability of the new PWLs NTL.
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