Sawatch
AvalancheJason Konigsberg · Jan 30, 2021 · Sawatch
Weather
Moderate wind loading on a near treeline ridge. I assume the wind loading was intense just a little higher. Measured 6 inches in the parking lot to start the day with 2 more inches at 4 pm. There was about 10 inches of new snow near treeline.
Snowpack
Windy and snowy. Winds were transporting snow directly below ridgetop. Slopes further down from the ridge were not wind-affected and the new snow showed no signs of instability. Fairly low density snow and right side up. Back up at the ridge, I got a large collapse and long shooting crack on an actively wind-loading slope when stepping onto the slope. The crack was as deep as the depth hoar. The slope did not slide because it was less than 30 degrees. This was the only sign of instability on easterly slopes. Quiet snowpack in sheltered areas on easterlies. The snow depth near treeline was 145 cm and below treeline it was about 110 cm. On westerly aspects below treeline I got numerous small collapses. The snowpack on west below treeline is much weaker and shallower (90 cm) than any other place I traveled today.---I dug one snowpit on an east-facing slope near treeline. I got a propagating result in an ECT (ECTP16) on small facets 45 cm down. This layer is thin and hard to pick out with the naked eye. No results on the weaker, more persistent, deeper layers. I think the upper weak layer will be active for a bit, but I don't think this upper layer will be a long-haul PWL like the deeper ones.
Avalanche
One small wind slab avalanche that happened when I was out there.