Date of Observation: 03/11/2023
Name: Zach Guy and Zach Kinler
Zone: Southeast Mountains
Route Description: Avalanche mitigation on the small slopes above the ice rink and nordic hill. NE-E aspects at 9,000′.
Observed avalanche activity: Yes
Avalanches: 3 storm slabs ran naturally on the Nordic Hill earlier this morning, about a foot deep. Remotely triggered a drifted storm slab from 20 feet away that was almost 2 feet deep. It broke on precip particles just above the storm interface (windboard). Numerous roof avalanches in town.
Weather: Heavy snowfall rates this morning, light winds.
Snowpack: About 18″ of top-heavy storm snow produced localized cracking in wind-protected terrain (up to 8′ long). Slabs were noticeably thicker and more reactive in drifted terrain, where I got a collapse, shooting cracks, and a remote trigger. All instabilities were on low-density precip particles that fell near the start of the storm (non-PWL).
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- Checking out the crown of a remotely triggered storm slab on a drifted terrain feature.
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- The crown was almost 2 feet thick, failed on low density storm snow just above the storm interface.
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- One of three naturals that ran early this morning.
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- Roof avalanche
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- Roof avalanche
