Observation: Turnagain

Traveled from 900-2800ft on Sunburst ridge

Signs of Instability:
Recent Avalanches: Yes (see photo)
Natural on Seattle Ridge SE facing slope just below treeline (1800′).
Wet slab 12-18″ deep x 150′ wide. Occurred sometime Sunday or Monday morning.
Cracking: Yes, very small/localized around skis in 3-8″ wind slab on Ridge above 2000′.
Collapsing: None observed

Weather:
Warm – wet – windy. Temps mid to low 30s F
Raining and moderate easterly wind up to ~2000ft
Light snowfall with strong NE gusts, blowing snow from 2000-2800ft on ridgeline

Surface Observations:
900ft-1100ft: Very wet snow
1100-2000: 15cm wet snow
2000-2800: 20cm damp dense snow, wind slabs forming on lee (west and south) slopes

Snowpack Observations:
We dug a few pits on west aspects at two elevations.

Pit 1
2800ft
W aspect
HS120 cm
ECTP30+ SC on basal facets (see photo)
ECTX

The snowpack structure showed 20cm moist dense surface snow over a 10cm wet layer (1/17/14 rain) on top of a 70cm slab going from 4finger to pencil hardness with depth. This sat on top of 20cm of moist basal facets. The basal facets show propagation potential, even though they were very difficult to trigger.

Pit 2
1900ft
W aspect
Snowpack structure showed 15cm of wet saturated surface snow sitting on a 60cm moist slab. This was overlying basal facets. The facets are wet at this elevation but have not refrozen and are still fist hardness.
ECTX