Sawatch

Avalanche

Rich Rogers · Dec 29, 2024 · Sawatch

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Weather

Warm, windy, and overcast. Large plumes of blowing snow off most ridgelines above treeline. Between 1pm and 2:30pm, winds were oddly calm at all elevations. Around 3pm winds picked up.

Snowpack

The main weak layer of concern is at the new(1F) and old snow(F) interface. Extended Column tests resulted in failures spread easily on, or near, this deeper, weaker layer. Other failures occurred easily at a few very thin "wind-skin" inter-storm layers.

Avalanche

An avalanche was triggered remotely on an Easterly(105º) aspect at 11,815ft from approximately 70-80ft away. The slab communicated a collapse from a lower-angle Northeasterly slope over a ridge onto the steeper Easterly slope.