Pro Field Report
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 20, 2022Submitted:
December 20, 2022Observer:
SAC - Chris Lundy, Clark CoreyZone or Region:
Banner SummitLocation:
Copper (rec) (6900-8800', most aspects)Signs of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
FairConfidence in Rating:
ModerateStability Trend:
Media/Attachments
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
ObscuredWind:
Moderate , WNew/Recent Snowfall:
More new snow than expected with 10-15cm of low density snow since last night in middle and upper elevation terrain.Intermittent S-1 during the day with ~1cm accumulation during our tour. S-1 was more consistent when we exited the field at 1600. WInds were light to moderate from the W at ridge level, moving small to moderate amounts of snow. There is large amounts of SAFT.
Avalanche Observations
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Photos | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Dec 2, 2022 (+/- 3 days) |
Newman Cr at the bottom of Copper Mtn N 7050ft |
D1.5 | O-Old Snow | N-Natural |
|
Report | ||
| 1 |
Dec 2, 2022 (+/- 3 days) |
Thatcher Creek S of Copper Mtn E 8600ft |
D2 | O-Old Snow | N-Natural | Report |
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Comments | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Newman Cr at the base of Copper N 7000 |
D1.5 | U-Unknown | Evidence of old avalanche that likely released during the 11/27 storm |
|
Saw very obscured evidence of a few old slides, likely post 11/27 storm. I'm confident in the one I added above. Another E facing, upper elevation slope looked like it may have produced a larger slide, but it was very faint and I couldn't be sure. We had poor light for observing distant terrain.
Snowpack Observations
HS ranged from 100 to 180cm. Average HS in middle elevation terrain was 120-130cm - in these areas 11/27 was down 80-90cm. We probed 170-180cm on a NE facing bowl between 8500-8800' (pit details below) where 11/27 was down 110cm.
@8700', NE: this is typically a deep snowpack location. HS 170-185cm. HN 15cm on top of 12/19 FC and SH. 12/8 was visible in the pit 55cm down, but unreactive in tests. 11/27 was down 110cm and 1F - the strongest I've seen. ECTX even hit very hard nonstandard force.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Persistent Slab
|
|
Layer Depth/Date: 80-110cm Weak Layer(s): Nov 27, 2022 (FC) |
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Wind Slab
|
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Comments: We found some fresh wind slabs along upper elevation ridges. The slope was not steep enough to slide, but stomping on the drifts did not produce significant cracking. |