Observation: Public

Name:

Tyler Quinn-Smith

Observation Date:

February 18, 2023

Submitted:

February 18, 2023

Zone or Region:

Snoqualmie Pass

Activity:

Skiing/Snowboarding

Location:

Pineapple Pass

Did you observe any avalanches?

Yes

Avalanche Type:

Soft Slab

Size:

Size 1: Relatively harmless to people

Elevation:

5,100’

Aspect:

NW

Comments:

Just adding to the observation submitted by Armin Seidl since our group saw this from below. Skier triggered a ~4 inch storm slab as they traversed the steeper treed slope to the NE of pineapple pass. Maybe 80’ wide and ran for 200’ feet.

Did you see shooting cracks?

Yes, Isolated

Did you experience collapsing or whumpfing?

No

Small soft storm slabs released in isolation beside skinner and while traversing. Couldn’t get a reaction on older interfaces when digging a hand pit at 5000’. Hand shears showed storm snow wasn’t bonding great to 3/17 surface.

Storm snow seemed to develop a soft slab throughout the day and easily cracked as we exited to lower great Scott around 1.