| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Sunburst
Standard route up Sunburst via the North Ridge. Skied SW and S aspects from the 3400′ level.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
A few naturals observed on Magnum and Seattle Ridge.
Weather
10:30 @ parking lot: 15 degrees F, mostly clear, winds calm
13:00 @ 3000': 10 degrees F, mostly clear, winds calm w/ occasional light winds
17:00 @ parking Lot: 20 degrees, Partly cloudy (snow showers by Bench/Lynx), light wind
Snow surface
road to 1600': 6" to 8" dry/light new snow over older consolidated snow
1600' to ~2000': 6" to 10" new loose but wind affected snow
2000' 3000': 1" to 15" of new wind affected snow. Densest wind slabs and sastrugi were on more western aspect. Southern aspects were side loaded/scoured so were very variable.
Above 3000' and ridge lines: Wind scoured to anti-tracks and rocks with pillows and wind deposited powder on leeward slopes and gullies.
North ridge was blown off to old tracks and pencil hard snow.
Looked like the motorized Sunnyside of the pass was unaffected by the recent winds.
Snowpack
Western aspects were mostly blown free of new snow and consisted of hard wind slab over dense older snow.
Southern aspects had wind deposited snow in varying depths over a hard wind slab. A hand pit @ ~3300' in a loaded area had the new snow fairly well bonded to the old wind slab.
extensive wind slab on western aspects
north ridge of Sunburst scoured to anti-tracks
wind effect on mid elevations of Sunburst, W /SW aspect