Sawatch
AvalancheJeff Metsky · Jan 12, 2023 · Sawatch
Weather
S1 snowfall had diminished to S-1 by early afternoon. Moderate winds with gusts to 30mph were present near and above treeline. Broken sky cover eventually gave way to scattered clouds by 1400. New snow from that morning was actively being transported across slopes and creating small wind slabs near and above tree line.
Snowpack
Snowpack consisted of PP and DF in the first 20 cm below the surface. At 55cm the snowpack formed a soft slab consisting of rounding faceted crystals. This soft slab was resting on a weaker layer of facets and depth hoar. The facets did not appear to be rounding between the 43-40 cm layer. Blowing snow produced challenging observation conditions. The layer located 25cm above the ground produced moderate results with instability tests at the interface. ECT and CT results both propagated across the columns at the 25cm layer. Below the 25 cm consisted mostly of depth hoar with a max size of 6mm.
Avalanche
On 20230112 we were able to travel to Buckeye Lake and observe 2 avalanches SW of Buckeye Peak in the cirque around the lake. Both were observed on the 11th, but with blowing snow and obscured skies it was difficult to get a good visual on them. The date is estimated, but both appear to be associated with recent storms this week.