Observation: Turnagain

Location: Tincan

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

We skinned just above treeline, but stopped at the bottom of Common as visibility disappeared. There was over a foot of new snow since Sunday morning, and we saw plenty of signs indicating poor stability.

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)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?Yes
Observer Comments

We got several collapses in an area that had a really soft wind slab that was buried by about a foot of fresh snow. The weak layer was a layer of near-surface facets that formed during the dry period from 12/2-12/5.

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

Snowing at the Tincan parking lot at 11:00, but the rain level climbed to about 1200 feet by the time we left (around 3:00). Light easterly winds with gusts strong enough to start blowing snow, especially above treeline.

Snow surface

12-18" new snow made for some good riding, as long as you could keep your speed up! Surface conditions deteriorated as we went dropped in elevation, with heavy and sticky snow just above the parking lot.

Snowpack

We saw multiple collapses, shooting cracks, and unstable pit results all failing at the old/new interface. Also noted the snow was really eager to slide on the old rain crust.

Photos & Video
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