Date of Observation: 01/11/2021
Name: Zach Guy
Zone: Northwest Mountains
Location: Schuylkill Ridge
Aspect: North East, East
Elevation: N/BTL
Avalanches: Minor sluffing
Weather: Strong inversion. Mostly clear skies. Calm winds.
Snowpack: Rec skiing – traveled on mostly existing skin tracks or terrain that avalanched in mid-December and saw no signs of instability until reaching flat terrain at valley bottom, where we got one large collapse that produced a shooting crack 150′ long. Widespread weak layers on the surface: surface hoar decreases in size and distribution at higher elevations. Near surface facets are widespread. The snowpack in terrain that avalanched earlier in December is noticeably weaker (often trapdoor skiing on larger grained, fist hard facets) and is set up to be a repeat offender whenever we get another slab-forming event.
Photos:
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- Collapse and 150′ shooting crack
