Storm Creek Old Large Avalanche

Avalanche

Run Length

150

Slab Width

400

Trigger Type

natural

Wind Exposure

crossLoadedSlope

Avalanche Size

3

Start Zone Aspect

NE

Start Zone Incline

35

Avalanche Character

deepPersistentSlab

Number Of Avalanches

1

Start Zone Elevation

2200

Avalanche Observation

moreThan48hrsAgo

Weak Layer Crystal Type

facets

Start Zone Elevation Band

alp

Avalanche Occurrence Datetime

2020-12-27T08:02:00

Sometime during the pre-Christmas storm IT looks like the slope below Storm Creek Headwall from below Kaveology to Smith & Wesson went naturally. I estimate it was about 400m wide. It ran about 150-200m to the bottom of the valley and a short way into the trees in places. Crown was filling in so can’t say how deep but based on the crusade crossloaded and spindrifted nature of the slope and depth of the snowpack I would guess it probably varied from 1-2m. I presume it failed on facets deep in the snowpack in order to have such a wide propagation. Presumably the early Nov crust could be implicated though I didn’t find much evidence of that crust on earlier forays to this location. Likely triggered by avalanche falling from above the headwall. Of note is that the large couloir right of the headwall also ran 3/4 path but did not pull a slab down low.