Sawatch

Avalanche

Becs Hodgetts · Mar 17, 2020 · Sawatch

Weather

Cool and overcast up to near treeline elevation where winds became gusty with moderate windspeeds. BY 2pm, it was ~40F at the valley floor (~10400')

Snowpack

We traveled on north and northwest slopes. Snowpack depth was variable through elevation bands. Below treeline it averaged 100cm, was unsupportable to boot pen, ski pen only 10cm. Areas around rocks and open spaces were thinner. One rocky area had a few rollerballs, but we saw no other evidence of a loose wet avalanche problem, even scanning across the valley to south slopes. Some below treeline south slopes were already bare. Our pit location was in a moderately wind drifted area near treeline. ECTX. This snowpack had not begun a melt freeze/spring transition, and with a largish storm we could see adding Persistent Slab avalanches back to the problem list. Dry snow beneath a surface (P hard) crust, with weak snow lower in the pack, keeping the potential for avalanches to step down into basal layers a possibility.

Avalanche

We observed 3 recent avalanches. Two persistent slab avalanches on east facing above treeline slopes, and the 3rd on north facing above treeline.