Location: Paradise Divide Area
Date of Observation: 11/23/2018
Name: Steve Banks
Subject: Lots of activity
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: 9,400-10,400
Avalanches:
We saw a lot of activity in this location. Lots of cracking and slumping and numerous avalanches triggered remotely. None were very hazardous (R1-D1) and the biggest one ran about 100′. What surprised me the most was the remote triggering. We triggered several slides from 200′ or more away. Slopes in the mid 30 degree range would crck and move slightly. It seemed the slope needed to be 40 degrees or steeper today to get the momentum to move.
Weather: Lovely winter day. Temps in the mid to high 20’s with calm to light winds. Overcast and snowing all day. Mostly S2 with periods of S1.
Snowpack: Generally 9-12″ of new snow overnight. Bottom half of the new snow was slightly more dense (4f) than the surface snow (F). Very weak facets below (F-). On steeper slopes with more Easterly tilt there was a soft, decomposing crust within the old snow, but this was intermittent. In some areas the facets at the ground were moist, some places frozen back together, and some places totally dry. In general there is little cohesion or slab in the snow, though apparently there is enough to form avalanches!
A quick Shovel Test showed Easy (7) results failing below the new snow on the facets with Resistant Planer shear.
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