Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Sunburst

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Eerily quiet out there today. 22* at parking lot under broken skies. 4″ of fresh snow on yesterday’s skin track until above alders where it was blown in and about 8″ ski pen. Wind buffed snow at top of alder line turning to soft sastrugi at about 2,500′. Ridge varied from icy layer and both firm and soft sastrugi. Wind on ridge 10-15mph but seemed to be dissipating later in the tour. Saw two avalanches that were partly filled in (see photos) at about 2,500′ and 2800′. It was difficult to tell how deep the crown had been. It could have been new snow or wind slab that failed on the melt freeze crust that is closer to the surface near ridgelines, but my hasty pits didn’t snow much energy in the snow above that melt freeze layer.

Avalanche Details
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Trigger NaturalRemote Trigger No
Avalanche Type UnknownAspect South Southwest
Elevation 2500ftSlope Angleunknown
Crown Depth 8inWidth 100ft
Vertical Run 50ft  
Avalanche Details

Saw two avalanches that were partly filled in (see photos) at about 2,500' and 2800'. It was difficult to tell how deep the crown had been. It could have been new snow or wind slab that failed on the melt freeze crust that is closer to the surface near ridgelines, but my hasty pits didn't snow much energy in the snow above that melt freeze layer.

Red Flags
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Observer Comments

My hasty pits didn't snow much energy in the snow above that melt freeze layer, and I didn't see other signs of instability.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
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Weather

22* at parking lot under broken skies. 4" of fresh snow on yesterday's skin track until above alders where it was blown in and about 8" ski pen.

Snow surface

Wind buffed snow at top of alder line turning to soft sastrugi at about 2,500'. Ridge varied from icy layer and both firm and soft sastrugi. Wind on ridge 10-15mph but seemed to be dissipating later in the tour

Photos & Video
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