Fresh cornice falls, sluffing, and some recent wind slabs in the Ruby Range

CBACCBAC Observations

Date of Observation: 04/06/2023
Name: Zach Guy

Zone: Northwest Mountains
Route Description: Traveled on various aspects on Mineral Point and Cascade to 12,500′.

Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: Numerous small dry loose avalanches ran today on northerly terrain, and we ski-triggered more of the same (D1). A couple small wet loose ran on an E/SE aspect BTL of Cascade (D1). Several large cornice falls failed sometime since the storm ended, past 48 hours (D2). Several D1 to D2 wind slabs ran during the storm, some related to cornice fall. See photos and details below, the storm-related avalanches are coded in a separate ob.
Weather: Clear skies, calm winds, cold temps near zero this morning rising to 20F at 12k midday.
Snowpack: There’s about a foot of fairly dense storm snow near and above treeline in the Ruby Range with signs of previous drifting. The snow appears to be bonding well to the storm interface, based on targeted feedback from numerous steep test features. We got some shallow cracking a few inches deep from the most recent drifting. The snow stayed dry on northerlies, got a little moist on easterlies, and just the surface got wet on southerlies. The dust is resurfacing on low-elevation southerlies near town.

Photos:

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