Observation: Public

Observation Date:

February 28, 2021

Submitted:

February 28, 2021

Zone or Region:

East Central

Activity:

Skiing/Snowboarding

Location:

Chiwawa

Did you observe any avalanches?

Yes

Avalanche Type:

Hard Slab

Size:

Size 3: Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few trees

Elevation:

6,600

Aspect:

E

Comments:

300' wide x 400' long. Unknown natural trigger, possible cornice.

None reported

Travelled on solar aspects up to 6000'. Surfaces were wet from sun and temperature, or refrozen from 1/27. Pockets along shadelines and shady slopes preserved dry snow.
On a SW aspect at 5500' snow was 300cm deep. Below the wet surface, found 4 finger to 1 finger recent snow to a thin crust 25cm down. Hardness progressed 1 finger to pencil to a 2nd thin crust down 85cm and pencil hard below that. Both crusts showed moderate shovel shears but a 110cm column gave ECTX. Probing down the Mid-January crust appeared to be 150cm down.

Large natural slab at 6600' on east aspect in the Chiwawa valley. For scale, buttress above is ~400' tall. Possible cornice trigger.