Observation: Public
Observation Details
Name:
Matt PrimomoObservation Date:
March 22, 2021Submitted:
March 22, 2021Zone or Region:
East CentralActivity:
Location:
Van EppsObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Soft SlabSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
6400Aspect:
NComments:
We found a couple recent cornice triggered slabs from the heavier snowfall overnight, one was D1.5, another D2. These were on north and east aspects at 6,400ft to 6700ft.Photo:
Signs of Unstable Snow
Did you see shooting cracks?
Yes, IsolatedDid you experience collapsing or whumpfing?
NoObservations
Moderate snowfall in the morning gave way to patchy sun. Cold and breezy while under the clouds, warm while in the sun. Northwest winds had cross drifted snow on north facing slopes and was evidenced by textured pillows and fish scale-like drifting patterns. We experienced moderate, though intermittent wind transport during the day.
There was 6-8" of new snow in the area with fair bonding to previous surfaces. We could get short shooting cracks on skin track switchbacks and with wind drifted test slopes early in the day, but not later. Wind slabs were up to 12" thick and about 1F- in hardness, failing on weaker new snow underneath the wind stiffenend layer. I could find small near-surface faceted grains under the new snow, although test results were variable on this layer.
Aside from the natural cornice activity, we could easily trigger small loose dry slides on very steep slopes. I imagine loose wet slides could have also been triggered on steep south and west aspects near and below treeline as the day warmed.
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