Date of Observation: 02/18/2023
Name: jeff banks
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Poop Loop looking at Whetstone + Cement Creek
Observed avalanche activity: No
Avalanches:
Weather: Strong NW Winds NTL + ATL
Lenticular clouds over Cement Creek zone
Snowpack: Intense Snow Transport NTL + ATL
Date of Observation: 02/17/2023
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Up Schuylkill Ridge via OBJ skintrack.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: D2 natural farther down the ridge on the SE side. Ran within last 48hrs presumably on sun crust storm interface.
Weather: Sun with thin clouds, no wind.
Snowpack: Did get one planar result from hasty hand shear on similar aspect/elevation as observed natural avalanche at storm snow interface (2/15) on small facets 1cm above sun crust.
Date of Observation: 02/16/2023
Name: Ben Ammon
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Pearl Pass down to Friends Hut
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: 1x D1.5 windslab E aspect Star Peak ran during day 2/15 when winds were out of East (no pic, sorry)
1x D2.5 windslab that stepped down in the rocky break over in several spots, SE aspect of Carbonate (pic attached) Failed during the early AM hours of 2/16
1x D1 Glide slab just above East River, below 4th Bowl (one finally went! Pic attached)
Weather: 2/15 moderate winds out of the East all day, low to no vis, high temps below zero on Pearl Pass
2/16 strong NW winds starting shortly after dark on 2/15, tons of scouring and transport leaving every surface NTL/ATL wind affected, as well as any BTL area not in thick trees. Large plumes (see photo of Pearl Pass) and significant transport on all terrain in the zone (Pearl Pass, Star, Crystal, Carbonate, Timbered Hill) High temp of 4*F at Friends Hut
2/17 Subzero but calm (finally!) and warmed significantly during the day.
Snowpack: A variety of small windslabs that failed during the night of 2/15 or day of 2/16, generally SE aspects, the large Carbonate was the only one of note. Many were partially filled in by the time we made it out skiing on 2/16
Date of Observation: 02/16/2023
Name: Garrett Eggers
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Skied the shoulder between first and second bowl on 2/16. Noticed a fairly wide crown through the trees on a NE aspect in first bowl that appeared to have entrained only the new snow. Probably ran naturally sometime on 2/15.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Photos:
Date of Observation: 02/16/2023
Name: Andrew Payton
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: ESE chutes directly above Carbon Creek / CR737
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Two avalanches observed on narrow and very steep east facing chutes on Carbon Peak around 130 pm. They ran about ½ mi / 1600’ vertical. I was cross country skiing up FR563 when I heard the long rumbles about 10 mins apart.
Weather: Sunny, 10 degrees
Photos:
Date of Observation: 02/16/2023
Name: Rob Strickland
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: RL to RLB
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Knocked the small cornice off the summit which produced a small slough and tiny slab… the wind was coming quickly from Redwell and building a small cornice on the south side at this time (730)… while skiing a small slab released naturally from the summit. Lower in the bowl another small slab was released on a steeper rollover.
No one was caught.
Slab size 2 – 4″ deep. maybe 50′ wide. D 0.5
Weather: Sunny & COLD
Photos:
Date of Observation: 02/15/2023
Name: Evan Ross
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: AMR. 10,000ft to 11,500ft. N-E.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Fairly widespread natural storm slab cycle that likely occurred during the early AM hours. All small or D1 in size.
Weather: Headed out at 8:30 am and snowfall was tapering off over the next few hours. Mostly S1 to S-1 through that period. Mostly light winds with some moderate gusts out of the E-SE.
Snowpack: HST was ~50cm at 10,000ft. There was a notable density change in the storm snow that was responsible for all the avalanche activity that I was able to look closely at. In areas without notable wind-loading that weak layer was down anywhere from 10 to 30cm depending on elevation and how close to the Kebler Pass Trailhead. In the morning the storm slab avalanche problem was reactive, then by mid-day, it was becoming less reactive and trending towards stubborn.
Around 11,000ft there was notable previous drifting from the south side of the ridge to the north side of the ridge. Skinning on the south side of the ridge you were either walking on the old crusty snow surface or through thick wind wales.
Photos:
Date of Observation: 02/14/2023
Name: John M
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Axtell 1st bowl
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Touchy interface with new snow
Weather: Overcast with light snow becoming heavier in early pm
Snowpack: Sloughing new snow from interface in new / old snow. Otherwise quiet
Date of Observation: 02/12/2023
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Schuylkill Peak area to 11,800’ on SE to NE aspects.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A small cornice fall in the past 24 hours. Minor skier triggered sluffs in extreme terrain.
Weather: Cloud cover decreased mid morning. Mild temps. Calm winds.
Snowpack: No signs of instability or evidence of avalanche problems. 1cm of low density snow fell last night without wind, which could facet or be a layer of concern with the next storm. Below that, surfaces are generally DF’s or wind packed rounds in wind affected terrain, some small grained faceting in wind sheltered northerly terrain, and melt freeze crusts on anything on the south half of the compass. Very steep and rocky terrain has weaker and more developed facets, occasionally unsupportive to boot or ski pen.
Date of Observation: 02/11/2023
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Snodgrass 2nd Bowl via skin track out of Tuttle Cabins
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Small avalanche at the top of 2nd bowl
Weather: mostly sunny with increasing high clouds. Temperature estimate of 15F
Snowpack:
