Northwest Avalanche Center

Observation: Public

All Observations

Observation Details

Name:
Joseph Dellaporta
Observation Date:
November 16, 2020
Submitted:
November 17, 2020
Zone or Region:
Stevens Pass
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
Skyline Ridge

Signs of Unstable Snow

Did you see shooting cracks? 
No
Did you experience collapsing or whumpfing? 
Yes, Isolated

Observations

Weather wise, Monday was characterized by increasing easterly winds during afternoon hours and surprisingly heavy periods of precipitation, with about 2-4 in of snow accumulating by end the end of the tour.
Snowpack wise, I did observe several collapses and cracking throughout my tour. The height of snow greatly varied by aspect. On E and NE aspects I found anywhere from 110-120 cm and on more southerly aspects I found 80-90 cm of snow. I dug a study profile on a NE aspect and found 110 cm of snow with several layers, one of which had facets on a layer of melt forms from Nov 12th . This layer was located approximately 70 cm down in this location. See attached profile for more detailed info. I also dug on a SW aspect and found a shallower snowpack of 90 cm and found this weak layer as well. As the day progressed, I also observed wind loading and reactive snow in areas of wind drifted snow. Rocks and downed trees are not deeply buried yet.

Media

WordPress Lightbox