Northwest Avalanche Center

Observation: Public

All Observations

Observation Details

Name:
Gavin
Observation Date:
February 13, 2021
Submitted:
February 13, 2021
Zone or Region:
Snoqualmie Pass
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
Phantom trees

Signs of Unstable Snow

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

Observations

Didn't see any signs of avalanche until the terrain got steeper, when we began to see small slabs release from the skin track. A compression test confirmed a very touchy storm slab well below treeline. We turned around and the group ahead of us decided to turn around as well. We left before the forecast was updated to considerable below treeline and would strongly agree with that assessment.

Advanced Observations

Observed Avalanche Problem #1: 
Storm Slab
Comments: 
About 4000', just above the waterfall we dug a pit down to about 45 cm where there was a stout crust. The top 6-8" new storm snow collapsed and slid while attempting to isolate the column on multiple tests.
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