Observation: Turnagain

Location: Magnum NW ridge

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Sunburst common uptrack to Magnum NW ridge.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Observer Comments

Active snow transport above 2000ft and new wind slabs 3-10in thick

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

1-2in of new snow in the parking lot when we arrived at 10am. Overcast skies with cloud ceiling above ridge top. Visibility steadily declined over next several hours as snow showers moved in to the region. Sustained ENE winds in the 20mph range with gust into the upper 30's. Temperatures moderate in the 20'sF

Snow surface

Wide range of snow conditions that varied by elevation. Below 2000ft generally found soft snow that was only minimally wind effected. Above 2000ft on the NW ridge of Magnum the snow was significantly wind effected. The NW ridge was significantly wind effected. Scrubbed to tundra along the ridge, and then there was a combo of impenetrable wind crust mixed with 5-30cm new wind slab.

Snowpack

New wind slab was not being very reactive on the test slopes we jumped on or to our ski cuts, in our hand shear tests the new wind slab appeared to be bonding to the old snow interface.