Sawatch

Avalanche

Tyler Lehmann ยท Mar 4, 2015

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Weather

Snowing(heavy at times), 38F two days ago, 15F currently, strong winds out of the SW through NW over the last few days. 65+" new snow measured in the last 10 days.

Snowpack

Varying layers of heavy, wetter snow intermixed with lighter, dryer snow sitting on a thick crust 3 - 4' below the surface with rounding facets underneath. Some inter storm interface layers releasing on handshear pits and test slopes. Q1 planer shear on small facets on top of buried jan/feb crust on few small pockets of facet gardens(near creeks). Evidence of wind slab formation ATL on many aspects. Ski pen 36"! Boot pen 60+". Up to 5' of wind transport in many meadows commonly called "free refills".

Avalanche

Windslab release on S aspect of Mt Vulcan. R2-D2. Entrained all available snow in path. 500' wide by 1200' vertical. 25 -30' debris pile. Still a small slide by normal standards for this slope. R1-D1, 50' wide by 25' vertical on NW terrain trap near creek bottom. BTL. Ran on facets sitting on top of jan/feb crust. I really was expecting more Avalanche activity than I have seen. The scales are not tipped in our favor. Too much weight, too many weak layers buried, not as much activity.