Sawatch

Avalanche

John Mackinnon ยท Feb 5, 2016

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Weather

FEW clouds, light northerly winds, cold temps. No blowing snow observed but previous evidence of blowing snow near and above TL

Snowpack

I found between 20-30 cm of storm snow from this past week's storm on S and SW aspects near and below TL. Storm snow settling into a more cohesive slab--especially near TL and in areas where the wind had stiffened it. Boot penetration is still to the ground but ski penetration ranged from 10-15 cm. Heard several rumbling collapses on S and SW aspects near and below TL and observed moderate cracking in storm snow. Sunny slopes stayed dry today with sufarce facets on top.

Avalanche

Observed 2 slab avalanches in the Evans Gulch Area. Both occurred in the last week.