Large explosive results at Irwin and small wind slabs in the Ruby Range

Date of Observation: 01/07/2023
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Irwin Tenure

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Explosives triggered a pair of large avalanches in Upper Upper Westwall. Most notably, a single 3# hand charge on a thin spot in the slab produced a crown 115cm x 50m running full track with trees up to 8″ diameter in the debris pile.
A handful of wind slabs ran yesterday or last night up to D1.5 in size. Numerous very small loose dry avalanches ran today from solar warming.
Weather: Few to scattered clouds through the day, light winds with no snow transport.
Snowpack: 36 hour storm totals are 20″ with 1.3″ SWE. Got one large collapse on a low-angle southerly slope where the snowpack is thinner because of wind erosion.