Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
February 8, 2023
Submitted:
February 8, 2023
Observer:
SAC - Davis, Genswein
Zone or Region:
Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns
Location:
Titus Ridge (N-E-S, 8,700-9,900')

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
Isolated
Collapsing? 
Isolated
We forgot binoculars, but we could not pick out crowns or debris piles along our drive or tour. In freshly wind-loaded terrain, we experienced cracking and collapsing on and under the (2/5) interface.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Fair
Confidence in Rating: 
Moderate
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Bottom Line

There was a lot of blowing snow out there. We found an ugly stack of weak snow (facets) and crusts on sunnier slopes and experienced cracking and collapsing in fresh drifts. Although we did not directly trigger or observe any avalanches, the ingredients are there for sensitive slabs in wind affected terrain.

Media/Attachments

Cornice blocks produced some small sluffs. The upper snowpack is heavily faceted and weak snow was readily entrained.
On sunnier slopes, a variety of weak crusts and facets exist in the upper portion of the snowpack. This location was particularly ugly due to wind and sun exposure. These factors combined to keep the snowpack thin, encouraging more faceting to occur. We targeted this slope to look for where these crust and facet stacks were at their worst. Cracking and collapsing were observed under the uppermost crust in a layer of very weak facets. This setup + a stiffer slab would be a dicey scenario.
A crust + facet combo beneath recent storm snow produced cracking and collapsing in wind affected terrain. The facets were buried under a crust on steeper S facing slopes.
This is the view looking south along Titus Ridge. There was a lot of snow moving at middle and upper elevations.

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Sunny
Temperature:
10-20F
Wind:
Moderate , NW
New/Recent Snowfall:
HN = 6 cm, 15-20 cm since (2/5)

Very windy this morning. Ground blizzards off of roofs in Ketchum at times. Lots of blowing snow was observed on the way north (9 AM). Wind blew from the WNW-N and even NE at times. Wind was observed drifting and moving snow in the basin below Titus Peak. Winds eased mid-morning, although snow was observed streaming off of exposed peaks from the Pass to the WRV in the early afternoon. Snow flurries produced a trace of new snow.

Snowpack Observations

See problems and photos.

Avalanche Problems

Problem Location Distribution Sensitivity Size Comments
Persistent Slab
Isolated
Specific
Widespread
Unreactive
Stubborn
Reactive
Touchy
D1
D1.5
D2
D2.5
D3
D3.5
D4
D4.5
D5
 Layer Depth/Date: 30-50 cm
Comments: A variety of weak facet + crust combinations exist on some steep, sunnier slopes. These will be touchy where a fresh slab has formed. The location we dug was reminiscent of the much shallower, wind and sun affected areas of the White Clouds, Boulders, and Pioneers. In these shallow locations the snowpack is heavily faceted and there is a lot of weak snow to choose from. Larger avalanches are possible in bigger alpine terrain where hard slabs rest over facets.
Wind Slab
Isolated
Specific
Widespread
Unreactive
Stubborn
Reactive
Touchy
D1
D1.5
D2
D2.5
D3
D3.5
D4
D4.5
D5
 Layer Depth/Date: 20-50 cm
Comments: It's hard to separate wind slabs from persistent slabs here. There may be some true wind slabs failing on non-persistent weak layers but I'd assume given the wind direction and mess of near-surface weak layers that most slides will fail on crust + facet combos.

Terrain Use

We skied a short steep slope in heavily faceted snow that lacked a slab.