Avalanches: A group ahead of us remotely triggered 3 D1 soft slabs above a steep NE rollover below treeline, about a foot deep. Another rollover near treeline looked to be skier triggered today as well. All of these were 4F to F hard slabs over a very thin, faceted crust.
See photos of numerous previously unreported natural avalanches from around the zone that ran around 2/28. Some impressive propagation and long running slides, up to D2.5 in size.
Weather: Clear, light winds, cool temps.
Snowpack: The avalanches that failed today all held a common ingredient; enough easterly tilt to hold a very thin, faceted crust. On more northerly facing slopes lacking this crust, the buried near surface facet layer (35 cm deep) was unreactive in pits (ECTN19, BRK) and on ski cuts in steep terrain. We got several rolling collapses on low angle SE aspects NTL, but the collapses didn’t produce any avalanches in nearby start zones.

D1.5 – D2’s. Peeler Peak. NE aspect A/NTL

Several slides on Schuylkill Ridge ran to valley floor, D2.5 in size.

D2. S or SE aspect ATL, looking towards Paradise Divide.

Natural D1.5 below treeline, NE aspect of Schuylkill Ridge.

D2’s on E/NE aspects of Hancock Peak

D2, East aspect of Richmond Peak

Extensive avalanching on the west side of Schuylkill Ridge. Most paths ran with many widely propagating slides. D1.5 to D2.5, E and NE aspects.

D1.5 Climax Chutes. NE aspect NTL

D2 Purple Ridge. ENE aspect ATL.

ECTN19 on near surface facets, buried 35 cm deep. NNE aspect BTL.

Crown was up to a foot thick, failed on a very thin faceted crust.

One of 3 remotely triggered D1’s on NE aspects BTL. Triggered from above.

This appeared to be skier triggered today. NE aspect NTL, failed on a very thin, faceted crust

D2. North aspect ATL of Scarp Ridge.

D1-1.5’s in Redwell Basin, NE aspects ATL.

Avalanches: No signs of instabilities observed.
Weather: Clear, calm and cold. Temps increased steadily throughout the day, but north aspects stayed cold and dry.
Snowpack: Heavy sluffing on the steepest terrain. Upper 20 to 30 cm was NSF over a stiffer (probably wind hardened) layer. Quick column tests produced broken blocks – nothing clean.

Avalanches: Many fresh avalanches noted above treeline on Gothic, SE face of Mt. Belleview, both sides of Angle Pass, Wolverine, Redwell and East side of Scarp Ridge. All D2 and Easterly aspects with extensive propagation running up to 1000 vertical. Also saw crowns on Schuylkill Ridge but didn’t see the extent.
Weather: High of -8 but strong solar made it feel much warmer. Light winds with some plumes noted off the high peaks.
Snowpack: New snow settling well and stiffer due to last nights winds.
1 test profile to check the buried NSF at 10,200 NE below the Snodgrass saddle with 35 cms of new and CT 1 SC. Spooky.
Some small, localized collapses on the skin up in terrain around 30 degrees.
Thin zipper crust on S/SE slopes in the afternoon even at 11,000′.

Avalanches: See photo
Weather:
Snowpack:

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Avalanches: Big slides on Marcellina, Afley, Beckwith, and Ohio Peak, several feet deep and wide propagation.
Weather: Calming winds from previous days, but still cold and blustery especially at ridgetop. Minor wind transport.
Snowpack:

new world, godzilla natural.  looks windslab intiated deeper instability, maybe crust facet combo or deeper?

2nd peak back in center of photo, large, almost basin-wide, multiple foot deep crown. in sun/shadow, in 3rd cirque of East Beckwith.

tough to see but center-right, good sized PS looking slab off Ohio

tough to make out but big, partially filled crown on afley, and lower left in rocky terrain on purple.

Avalanches: Numerous natural D1 to D2 soft slab avalanches, mostly on easterly aspects above treeline (NE to SE). Based on crown thicknesses and snow structure obs, I assume that most of these failed on the crust/facet layers buried about 18-24″ thick. There were also a few D1 shallow wind slabs. See photos.
Weather: Cold, clear, light winds with no transport.
Snowpack: Below treeline, 12-18″ of soft slab down to the concerning persistent weak layers (crusts/facets).
Above treeline, highly variable slab thickness and distribution due to westerly winds. Most westerly aspects are scoured away. One crown profile on an ESE aspect showed 20″ of F to 4F slab over a thin melt-freeze crust with 1-2mm facets above and below. Extended column failed on isolation (ECTPV, SC).

D2 NE aspect NTL. X Chutes on Whetstone. Ran a long way.

D2 E aspect near White Rock Mountain.

D2 E aspect ATL. Near White Rock Mtn

2xD1.5 NE aspect Double Top

D1.5 NE aspect Double Top

ECTPV on 1-2mm facets below a 1 cm MFcr, 50 cm deep. ESE aspect ATL.

D2. SE aspect Hunter Hill

D1.5 SE aspect Hunter Hill

D2. NE aspect Double Top.

D1.5 E aspect Hunter Hill

D2. SE aspect Timbered Hill

D1.5/D2’s. E and NE aspects above West Brush Creek

D2. N aspect ATL. Lambertsons Peak

D1.5 East aspect ATL. Hunter Hill

D1 windslab. E aspect, Star Pass.

D2. NE aspect ATL. Carbonate Hill

Avalanches: Skier triggered numerous loose snow avalanches in the top 12″ of the storm snow, up to D1.5 in size. Remotely triggered a small rollover from below, failed about 20″ deep on the 2/17 facet layer. SS-ASr-R1-D1-O. Poor vis, no other avalanche observations.
Weather: S-1, Overcast to broken skies, winds increased through the day, becoming strong and transporting lots of snow.
Snowpack: 18″ of storm snow at Friends Hut. The top 12″ came in very low density (~3%). Widespread loose snow instabilities, but the storm snow became slabbier through the day due to settlement and wind affect. Persistent weak layers (near surface facets and thin crust/facets) were reactive: multiple moderate collapses, a 100′ shooting crack, and remote triggered a small pocket, all on buried facets about 18-24″ deep. The most concerning structures were on ESE and E aspects, where there are thin crusts surrounded by facets.

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Avalanches: Many natural D1-D2 soft slabs on northeasterly and easterly ATL/NTL slopes. One natural D2.5 slab on a southeasterly/easterly aspect of Mt. Bellview. One natural D1 storm slab BTL on an east aspect. Skier triggered a D1.5 storm slab yesterday (2/28), on a steep northeasterly slope NTL.

See email for pictures
Weather: Clear skies with light winds and warming temps. Some snow blowing off the high peaks.
Snowpack:

Avalanches:
Weather: Here are the 24 hour totals (earlier I gave only overnight). There was 8 1/2″ new with water 0.77″ and snowpack now at 90″. Snow has become light and temp. holding at 19F. No visibility. I am tired. billy
Snowpack:

Avalanches: About 10″ of new snow since yesterday morning. Lots of small, localized collapses underfoot throughout the day on all aspects travelled on. 1 test profile showed HS 230 cm with 35 cms of newer snow over crust facet sandwich. ECTX but prying with the shovel popped the slab off on 1cm thick .5 mm facets between 2 crusts.
Remote triggered a D2 and a small D1 on the NE slopes of Snodgrass skiers left of the low point of the saddle. Triggered from a small bench about 200′ away from the slope. 200′ wide running about 600 vertical with a crown of up to 53 cms. Weak layer was buried near surface facets. 35 degree slope at 10,400′ Crown investigation showed CT 21 SP failing on the same NSF.
Also noted a large D2.5 off of the East face of Gothic initiating just below the very large cornice on the summit ridge and running to about 10,200 just above the valley floor.
Watched a release out of very steep terrain, East facing above Copper Creek likely windslab and maybe D2. Noticed 2 other pockets, mid elevation roughly 10,600 with minimal propagation and D 1.5.
Peak of instability seemed to come around 3 pm today. Surface snow became noticeably stiffer in the afternoon.
Weather: S-1 most of the day with periods of S3. Increasing winds through the day as snow decreases with strong gusts in the afternoon. Winds from the West and high temp of -7.
Snowpack:

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