Sawatch
AvalancheGrant Breidenbach · Mar 5, 2023 · Sawatch
Weather
Strong winds built on 3/4 and were blowing large plumes off the area peaks
Snowpack
Around 12,000ft on Chalk mountain (3 miles away) on an east aspect near tree line snow depth was 120-150. The slope that slid looked visibly thin.
Avalanche
Sometime overnight a large avalanche came off the prominent east face of Chicago ridge around 12,500ft on an E aspect in steep terrain. Viewed from a distance, but it appeared to start as a natural wind slab (not triggered by cornice fall) that stepped down to the basal facets and ran to the ground. Crown heights looked very tall in places but impossible to measure. Estimated R2 D2.5