Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Irene HenningerObservation Date:
November 27, 2020Submitted:
November 27, 2020Zone or Region:
West CentralActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Green MountainTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to peopleElevation:
5000ftAspect:
SComments:
A ski cut triggered a small wet loose avalanche that was approximately 15ft wide and 10cm deep. It ran about 150ft on the melt freeze crust from Nov 24.Photo:
Observed Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to peopleElevation:
5500ftAspect:
SComments:
Small rollerballs in the morning led to small (D1) avalanches in the afternoon on steep slopes, mostly initiating near rock bands. These wet loose avalanches ran on the new/old snow interface (melt freeze bed surface) up to 20ft wide.Photo:
Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
We travelled up southerly aspects towards the false summit of Green Mountain. We parked on the road about a mile from the trailhead as snow line began around 2800ft.
Below the treeline there was minimal new snow, with mostly firm and moist melt form layers. As we emerged out of the forest near the treeline we found up to 15cm of new snow which became moist today except for above ~4800ft on northerly aspects. Snowpack heights ranged from 100cm to 150cm as we moved from south to north aspects. Throughout our travels the snow was generally right side up with a few notable crusts on south aspects, however only the mid-pack melt freeze crust from Nov 18 was present on northerly slopes. See pit images for more details.
Cornice development and wind slabs were clearly visible on ridgelines lee to the southwest above treeline. Additionally, there were some signs of old, shallow storm slab avalanches visible on northeast aspects around 5800ft that had been covered by the most recent snowfall.
Skies were obscured in the morning and increasing (up to moderate) southerly winds cleared the skies in the afternoon. Air temperatures hovered around freezing all day.
Media
