Sawatch

Avalanche

Ian Hoyer ยท Jan 6, 2017

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Weather

Clear, blue skies, but cold. No real winds near or below treeline, but could see some drifting off of peaks, especially further north in the Sawatch while driving home.

Snowpack

~14 inches of storm snow. This snow was rapidly settling, especially in the sun. It had already settled to ~8 inches on SE facing slope near and below treeline. Tree bombs everywhere. While the new snow has been consolidating, it also appears to be bonding well to the old snow surface. No cracking or collapsing were seen. Basal facets also appears to have continued their rounding and gaining strength. No worrisome results in ECT near treeline on an east facing slope.

Avalanche

One very small Wind Slab avalanche beneath a cornice, and a larger avalanche that broke mid-slope on an NE aspect above treeline. Hard to tell whether the larger slide broke on a persistent weak layer or if it was just the result of unusual loading.