Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 04/02/2019
Name: Eric Murrow & Zach Kinler
Subject: Greenhousin’ and wet snow
Aspect: North, North East, East, South East, South
Elevation: 9200′ – 11500′
Avalanches:
A couple natural D1 wet loose avalanches on southerly slopes near treeline. Easily triggered D1 wet loose slides on southerlies in the top couple inches of snow running on a crust – entrained little mass. Northerly slopes near treeline also produced skier triggered shallow loose avalanches in steep terrain – the snow was just slightly moist.
Weather: Partly cloudy skies in the morning with a mix of thin high clouds. Temperatures warmed near the freezing mark up to 11500′. Winds were out of the west blowing light with occasional moderate gusts. Skies increased to mostly cloudy around 2pm with a few flurries. Snow surfaces warmed more than expected from good solar input in the AM along with the mild temperatures.
Snowpack: Less than an inch of new snow overnight, no accumulations during the day. Snow surfaces became moist at valley bottom and southerlies by 1030am and by 130pm, it was easy to trigger shallow, slow-moving wet loose avalanches on southerly slopes at 11,500 feet. North facing slopes became slightly moist up to around 11,500′. Shaded slopes had around 10 inches of snow resting on the 3/29 interface near treeline.
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