Professional Observation

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Several Human triggered avalanches were reported in the Red Cone area today. These occurred near treeline in an area locally known as “Grey cliff” around mid-day.  the first avalanche was triggered remotely as the party approached the rollover. Crown depth -8″ and destructive size estimated to be size D1-1.5. The second was triggered as one of the party descended a smaller slope adjacent to the first slide. 8″ crown and D1 in size. Thankfully no one was caught carried or injured in this incident though the party described the conditions as “upsidedown” and “touchy”.

The prevailing winds, terrain features in this area, and disruptions of the incident indicate that these were likely wind slab avalanches. It’s also worth noting that. Warming temperatures today led to moistening surface snow throughout the day leading to distinctly upsidedown snow accumulations. this has likely led to more sensitive avalanche conditions.

Snow Stability