Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Sam LuthyObservation Date:
January 29, 2021Submitted:
January 29, 2021Zone or Region:
OlympicsActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
Hurricane Ridge- MaggiesTriggered Avalanches
Did you trigger any avalanches?
YesWas it intentional?
YesAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to peopleElevation:
5300 NTLAspect:
NEComments:
Small but reactive soft wind slabs running on near surface facets on top of a crust.Signs of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
NoDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
Yes, WidespreadObservations
Beautiful day up at the ridge with light winds and sunny skies. 2-3 inches of new snow over the last week is covering most aspects with the ridge tops and South aspects mostly scoured. Lee slopes, N-NE have 6-10 inches of wind loaded snow on them just below the ridge. Soft wind slabs are easy to trigger and are running on a layer of near surface facets just above a crust layer. On top of the snow, 3mm surface hore was observed today. its been all but eliminated on solar slopes and along ridgelines but lingers in shady and sheltered areas. If you dig deeper into the snow pack you will find weak faceted snow grains. However, these weak layers are believed to not pose much of a hazard yet as they are bridged by a crust above or are discontinuous. With new snow and wind predicted for the weekend, watch how it bonds to the surface snow. Two layers with persistent grains exist in the upper 3-4inches of the snowpack.
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