Observation: Chugach State Park

Location: McHugh Peak

Date:

April 18, 2017 7:00pm

Observer:

Jessie Haffener & Sam Galoob

Route & General Observations

Toured up the NW ridge of McHugh, skied a W aspect gully.

Red Flags

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Obvious signs of instability

Recent Avalanches?	No
Collapsing (Whumphing)?	Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?	No

Observer Comments

Collapsing on rotten isothermal snow over vegetation. Collapses had a radius of 10-15 feet.

Weather & Snow Characteristics

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

Weather

Mid 40's, light wind. Abundant sunshine.

Snow surface

Snow was completely isothermal on south and west aspects. Beads of water were forming on the surface on southern-most aspects. Aspects with any northernly tilt whatsoever ranged from 1-2 cm thick corn on a supportable crust, or had a thin, but supportable and firm ice lens.

Snowpack

No formal stability tests. Pole probing and skinning revealed that the snow was completely isothermal on S and W aspects by 7 pm. Spatially variable depths that were thinnest on SW aspects, ranging from bare to 2 ft deep. Deeper snow suspected in wind blown areas. A lot of shrubbery popping through the snow surface.

Photos & Video

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High degree of spatial variability

Location

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