Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 12/26/2017
Name: Dustin E.
Subject: Tale of Two Snowpacks
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 9000-11800
Avalanches:
Lots of activity although most were pretty small. Saw multiple (7?) natural soft windslabs on Climax Chutes, Schuylkill, Schuylkill sub peak above Pittsburg, one on SE face of Augusta. All appeared to have slid on interface layer. All were D1. One slide in Redwell (West side) that I did not get a good look at but could’ve been D2. Most looked like they had slid mid-storm and had filled in again.
Weather: Warm in the morning and cooled off right around noon. SW Winds picked up (Moderate) with periods of blowing snow.
Snowpack: The snowpack on northerly slopes was yelling at us. Lots of collapses and cracking. Some collapses initiated from flats onto North slopes up to 20 meters away. As we transitioned onto more Easterly and Southerly aspects the snowpack quieted down and was generally right side up. HS on Northerly slopes was up to about 90 cm and much shallower on East and South( anywhere from 20-60 cm). Small surface crust developed in the day on East and South faces near and below treeline.
Photos: