Date of Observation: 04/03/2023
Name: Jack Caprio

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Skied down east brush creek from Friends Hut on 4/3

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: One notable slab avalanche that ran later in the day on 4/2 during the warm up. The avalanche occurred on an ESE slope below treeline in the Timbered Hill Chutes. The crown was at 11,400’ on the shoulder of the 2nd THC path downstream from the Friends Hut. The avalanche looked to step down through the 3/30 interface into deeper March interfaces.

There was also plenty of remnants of wet loose activity on death pass. Roller balls and cinnamon rolls galore.
Weather: Cloudy and windy.
Snowpack: The super highway was nice and fast

Date of Observation: 04/02/2023
Name: Megan Paden

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Star Pass area

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A couple of fresh wind slabs on east side of Crystal and Hunter.
Cornice drop on Star.
No large persistent slabs observed in this area.
One wet loose on an easterly slope near Italian.

Date of Observation: 04/02/2023
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Morning tour on Mt. Emmons, traveling on southerly and northerly aspects to 12,000′

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Several notable large avalanches that ran sometime since Evan was on Mt. Emmons yesterday morning. These likely ran during Saturday afternoon’s peak warming, or the cornice falls could have happened overnight. Plus a few older wind slabs that likely ran during Friday’s storm.
-A second cornice fall in Redwell Basin, extending dirty debris further than the slide in the same area that Evan documented yesterday, and prying out a couple of slabs in the upper snowpack, ~D2.5 to D3 in size.
-Several wide D2 to D2.5 storm slabs that ran on the southwest side of Schuylkill Ridge to valley floor in OBJ, snapping several trees.
-A large wind slab in Peeler Basin that was triggered by cornice fall, D2.
Weather: Strong winds above treeline and moderate winds below treeline were helping to keep snow surfaces cool today. Winds appeared to be sublimating the drifting snow  more than loading. Few clouds. Spring temps.
Snowpack: Skied steep, north-facing terrain with no signs of instability. On solar aspects, crusts started to soften around 11 or noon. I didn’t see any active rollerballs or wet loose activity by the time we left at 1 p.m. I stomped around above a wind-loaded east-facing slope midday and couldn’t produce any signs of instability.

Date of Observation: 04/02/2023
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: SE Mountain FX area

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: 4 cornice avalanches that failed since Friday. 2 above Copper Creek on a SE aspect at 12,000ft. Another 2 in the Hidden Lake Bowl of Mt Whetstone on a northerly facing slope at 12,200ft. The Hidden Lake Bowl cornices may be repeat offenders similar to those that keep falling into Redwell.

Date of Observation: 04/02/2023
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Slate River to Cascade

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: The natural loose wet avalanche activity has remained fairly minimal, with fewer small loose wet avalanches and more roller balls.

Got a closer look at the natural slab avalanche, that ran late Saturday afternoon, above the Slate River Rd. This avalanche ran on a SW aspect at 10,800ft. The best guess is that this was a natural storm slab avalanche that failed during the rapid warming event that occurred on Saturday. The slab looked to have run on the old snow interface. Near the avalanche debris, the top 10 cm of the snowpack had become wet and the remaining storm snow below was dry.

Weather: Partly Cloudy, Light to moderate winds with blowing snow off the high peaks.

Snowpack: The wind was penetrating to valley level and helping keep snow surfaces somewhat cool. Loose wet avalanches appeared to be more problematic yesterday. The wind in the alpine looked like it was doing more eroding than actual wind-loading.

Date of Observation: 04/01/2023
Name: Insta Gram

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: West Beckwith

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Slab avalanche that broke deeply on a crossloaded S to SE facing slope either today or yesterday.

Date of Observation: 04/01/2023

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Slate River

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: This avalanche ran late on 4/1. Natural or a remote trigger.

Date of Observation: 04/01/2023
Name: Evan Ross

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Mt Emmons. Redwell Tour.

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: A wide propagating slab on an easterly aspect into Redwell Basin. 11,600ft. D2. Avalanche debris looked soft so I’d estimate it ran yesterday during the storm.

A fresh cornice fell in redwell basin, probably ran this morning or at the end of the storm. D2.

A fresh cornice fell in the Climax Chutes, probably ran this morning or at the end of the storm. D1.5

Roller balls and some small loose wet avalanches around the solar half of the compass.

Weather: Clear sky, rising temps. Calm winds down low and light winds in the alpine.

Snowpack: At 10,800ft on the South side of Mt Emmons the recent HST was 35cm. We climbed the south side of Mt Emmons while the snow was just warming, then skied dry snow of the West and north sides. By the time we hit OBJ and changed both aspects and elevation the snow surface was wet. This tour was for good snow and avoided the avalanche problems.

Date of Observation: 04/01/2023
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Viewed from Mt. CB

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Several D2 wind slabs on Avery and Gothic that ran yesterday. Numerous small wet loose today (D1s). And of course the very large persistent slab off of Gothic, which triggered an additional persistent slab crown below the cliff band.
Weather: Clear skies, mild temps, occasional light drifting near wind exposed summits.