Observation: Turnagain

Location: Magnum - SW Road Bowl

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Magnum – up main SW bowl and back down the same route, mid-day (12-3 PM)

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?No
Collapsing (Whumphing)?No
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

Cracking in a 10'x10' area just below the ridgeline/cornice on the low angle entrance to the bowl. This surface layer was 6-8" thick, fist hard, and broke into blocks, but didn't run at all likely due to slope angle.

Skier-triggered sluffing was observed on Sunburst; see photo below.

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

Single digit temperatures, clear with valley fog rolling in by mid-afternoon. Winds variable and light, though sustained moderate snow transport from NE winds was observed on neighboring sunny side peaks.

Snow surface

4-6" of soft new snow along the entire route; below this was a combination of facets, buried surface hoar, and breakable sun crusts on southerly aspects of magnum above treeline. Wind affect was present immediately after crossing the drainage between Magnum and Cornbiscuit, and was observed along the entire route, though the surface layer was still extremely soft.

Photos & Video
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