Sawatch
AvalancheChris Martin · Jan 6, 2019 · Sawatch
Weather
S-1 to S-2 Winds out of NW-NE with intense gusts
Snowpack
Monarch pass is skiing well where untracked snow exists. New Snow arrived today on our tour with NW to NE winds that appeared fairly intense at times. S-1 to S-2 throughout day. Persistent Slab structure located NTL on E to SE aspects. No North observed. This avalanche problem is isolated in the terrain and exists in shadier areas. Much of monarch snowpack has been decomposing over the past dry spell and mostly lacks any slab structure, where it is found is in isolated pockets where deeper snow lies over the terrain in wind drifted terrain features. Wind has been in affect on monarch - the windy bird. Wind slabs were found below ridge tops on isolated terrain features and some slopes held wind slab mid way down towards the highway from snowstake on Gracies side. Today in Gracies south, 4-6" windslab was observed in isolated pockets. Multiple cracks 10-20m in length occurred today around 11400'. Also, on more SE-S aspects a P-Slab structure was observed where a crust separated the ground and large Faceting at the Base of snowpack- here we whiteness' one significant whumpf around 11450'. A slab was present above this crust where the whumpf occurred, no cracking observed.
Avalanche
N/O