| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Tincan
Tincan uptrack to base of common bowl just above the highest trees.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
We triggered some shooting cracks on small wind loaded features near treeline.
Weather
Surprisingly nice weather from 12 - 4 pm during our tour. Light snow flurries during the day but no rain. The winds were transporting a lot of snow along the upper ridgelines on Tincan, Sunburst, Magnum, and Seattle (all the ridges we could see). Winds were occasionally strong enough to transport snow down to treeline.
Snow surface
About 6" of moist snow at the trailhead elevation getting progressively drier above 1500'. The new snow contained much more moisture than the soft snow that it fell on top of. The combination made for kind of sticky feeling skinning and skiing at lower elevations.
Snowpack
We triggered some freshly loaded wind slabs on steep rolls at treeline, but otherwise didn't find any notable weak layers in the snowpack in our pit at 2500'. The upper snowpack was right side up and the facets on top of the new years crust felt stronger than what I have seen in other locations in Turnagain. No propagation in our ECT tests.
Shooting cracks on a steep wind loaded roll at treeline.
Surprisingly good weather today, but the upper ridgelines were actively loading all day. At treeline snow was also being redistributed by winds.
Similar story looking up at the other ridgelines along Turnagain Pass as we drove to Johnson Pass trailhead. About 6" of moist snow at the road level with active wind loading at upper elevations.