Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 6, 2020
Submitted:
March 6, 2020
Observer:
SAC - Lundy, Stefan
Zone or Region:
Sawtooth and Western Smoky Mtns
Location:
Beaver Creek

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
Yes
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced
Avalanche activity limited to a couple very small wet loose, see below.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Good
Confidence in Rating: 
Moderate
Stability Trend: 
Improving

Bottom Line

Very warm temperatures and weak overnight refreeze lead to wet conditions at low and middle elevations. Cloud cover and wind kept upper elevations cooler. The warming today helped strengthen surfaces on all but mid to upper elevation NE-N-NW, and these have seen a great deal of wind effect.

Media/Attachments

E, 9100'
W, 9400'

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Cloudy
Wind:
Moderate , S

There was a bit of thin, high clouds over the Sawtooth Valley this morning, but the more significant radiation-blocking clouds moved in around 1400. Winds on exposed ridges were gusty and blowing at light to moderate speeds.

Avalanche Observations

We observed a couple small, fresh WL on mid/upper elevation W and E aspects (see photos below). We did not observe any activity on S aspects.

Snowpack Observations

Low and mid elevations took the brunt of the heat today. The boot pen in the flats at around 7200' at 1600 was full depth (~50cm). The top 30cm of mid elevation solars was wet, but below that the snowpack was moist and retaining strength. The cloud cover and wind kept things a bit cooler up high, and exposed solars even had a thin crust at the surface.

The warmth today strengthened some of the near surface faceting on mid and upper elevation E and W aspects. NE-N-NW surfaces remain fairly faceted, but many of these are weather/wind beaten at upper elevations. Overall, still a mixed bag of surfaces but overall a bit better than a few days ago.

Avalanche Problems

Problem Location Distribution Sensitivity Size Comments
Wet Loose
Isolated
Specific
Widespread
Unreactive
Stubborn
Reactive
Touchy
D1
D1.5
D2
D2.5
D3
D3.5
D4
D4.5
D5

Terrain Use

We felt comfortable moving through just about all terrain except for steep, rocky, solar slopes where the snowpack surface was mushy.