Sawtooth Avalanche Center

Public Field Report

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 11, 2023
Submitted:
March 11, 2023
Zone or Region:
Sawtooth and Western Smoky Mtns
Activity:
Skiing/Snowboarding
Location:
Smiley Creek

Observed Avalanches

Did you observe any avalanches? 
Yes
Avalanche Type:
Hard Slab
Size:
Size 3: Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few trees
Elevation:
9,500
Aspect:
NE
Comments:
Got eyes on 2 very large avalanches on Eureka, both on E/NE slopes. Large crowns, several hundred feet wide.

Signs of Unstable Snow

Did you see shooting cracks? 
Yes
Did you experience collapsing or whumpfing? 
Yes, Widespread

Observations

Toured out into a meadow with nothing overhanging it to get eyes on things after yesterday’s big storm. We experienced nearly constant loud, booming collapses in the upper snowpack. We dug a pit to confirm the obvious… results were ECTP12 fracturing on the storm slab interface on the first test. We gave it 4 more taps and the column failed much lower on a buried weak layer 100cm below the surface. Yikes!