Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
March 15, 2020Submitted:
March 15, 2020Observer:
SAC - Martin StefanZone or Region:
Soldier and Wood River Valley MtnsLocation:
Triple PeaksSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
IsolatedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
GoodConfidence in Rating:
LowStability Trend:
ImprovingBottom Line
About 4-6" of new snow, already getting moist everywhere except very sheltered, true north aspects. I found a few reactive wind slabs close to ridgelines, but got no collapses and very little cracking. For the most part supportable crust on facet stack underneath. I could see potential for wet loose slides in the afternoon and kicked a few rollerballs, but could not see any activity when glassing the surroundings.
Surprisingly good skiing.
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Mostly SunnyWind:
Light , SWHst 10-15cm. At noon skies were BKN but cleared by 1300. Warm temps and a very light SW wind at the summit. Fresh snow was getting plenty of radiation, and I could get a few rollerballs going on W facing slopes by 1500.
Snowpack Observations
Around 10cm of new snow at lower elevations, increasing to 15cm above 7000'. On everything else than true north or tree-shaded terrain the new snow was already moist. There is a clear density inversion mid-Hst, but I cannot see it persisting for long.
Isolated windslabs along ridgelines did not extend more than 10m down, did produce some shooting cracks.
Generally poor bonding to underlying MFcr, but not much wind slabs at the elevations I traveled. I could see the potential for loose wet slides on steeper terrain, and I did get a few roller balls going.
Straight west are mostly burned off, NW still hold dry FC under supportable MFcr above 7000'. Boot pen to gnd for the most part.
HS 40-100cm on N-NW aspects.
There is a fairly widespread 2-4cm MFcr+ F hard FCsf combo on most N-NW aspects except the most sheltered ones (where it is just stack of facets instead) that was surprisingly reactive in tests, ECTPs in the low single digits and PST10/100(end), but I got no collapses or shooting cracks on it.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wind Slab
|
|
Layer Depth/Date: 20-30cm, 3/14 I never entered true upper elevation terrain, the wind slabs I observed were confined to close proximity to ridgelines |
Terrain Use
I closed all wind loaded avalanche terrain
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