Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Matt PrimomoObservation Date:
February 3, 2021Submitted:
February 3, 2021Zone or Region:
Stevens PassActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
LichtenbergObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 1: Relatively harmless to peopleElevation:
Near and Below TreelineAspect:
SComments:
Wet loose slides ran with strong sun by mid-day on steep solars. Many of these pulled out the 12" or so of recent snow down to the 1/13 crust. One was perhaps a small D2.Photo:
Signs of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
Yes, IsolatedDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
Yes, IsolatedObservations
Strong sun, light wind, no snow transport observed. Previous snow transport with 4F+ drifts to 2ft deep in places.
Profiles all the way up the S side of Lichtenberg revealed fair to poor bonding of recent storms on the stout 1/13 melt freeze crust. The crust is slick and smooth on these solar aspects. Sometimes small rounding facets were observed, other times large, preserved stellars. Sometimes it was a thin crust/facet sandwich.
In any case, tilt tests and compression tests revealed weaknesses about 12-15" down just above this crust. Propagation saw tests showed a propensity to propagate. Shooting cracks could be observed on steep features, and we had one whumph within a thick wind drift at 5,600ft, weak snow over the crust.
The deets:
S at 4,600ft: Planer tilt tests and CTE SP results 30cm down, on a slick 1/13 crust. Some faceted grains observed but mostly preserved stellar.
S at 5,000ft on Lichtenberg Shoulder: Tilt tests easy, down 15cm below recent suncrust. CTM SP down 37cm in 1mm FCxr within 1/15- 1/13 sandwich. PST 30/100 (End) here.
N at 5,600ft: Tilt tests revealed a layer of small buried SH down 15cm.
In general, there was a lack of slab but the sun was 'slabbing up' the snow as we traveled. We stuck to supported features to low 30* and avoided steeper slopes after they had much sun. Going into the next storm there are plenty of potential weak layers to be concerned about.
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