Sawatch
AvalancheBen Pritchett · Mar 15, 2024 · Sawatch
Weather
Stormy in the morning, with strong easterly winds, becoming warm, calm and cloudy in the afternoon.
Snowpack
We measured over two feet of storm snow in wind-sheltered areas and found drifts up to four to five feet below ridgelines. Easterly winds deposited thick drifts on south through west to north-facing terrain. Above treeline the drifts are deeper, but very terrain-specific, with many slopes simply scoured by the strong to extreme wind speeds. Near treeline the drifts are most continuous and easy to find. Open slopes below treeline also receive thick deposits, especially above about 10,000 feet.
Avalanche
I remotely triggered a Wind Slab avalanche in a cross-loaded south to southeast-facing avalanche path near treeline. It broke one to three feet deep and ran around two hundred vertical feet through the forest below.