Anthracites

Date of Observation: 02/25/2021
Name: Jack Caprio

Zone: Northwest Mountains

Location: Anthracites
Aspect: North, North East, East
Elevation: 10k-11.5k

Avalanches: 1 D2 slab avalanche on a S facing slope in ‘the playground’ which I believe released due to a cornice chunk falling.
A couple small, wet loose avalanches on sunny slopes near rock bands that likely ran over the past couple days of warm weather.
Weather: Calm day. Sunny. Comfy temps
Snowpack: We mostly traveled on established skin tracks below tree line on N and NE aspects. HS ranged from 160-200 cms. Where I dug, the first concerning weak layer was >120cms below the surface. Snow pit tests produced no results at this site. No collapsing/ cracking all day.

Recent N winds produced noticeable scouring of surface snow in N facing exposed areas, and large cornice building/ loading on S facing start zones. In protected areas, small near surface facets continue to develop.

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