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Professional Observation

       

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 18, 2023
Submitted:
March 18, 2023
Observer:
Everett Phillips | ESAC Forecaster
Zone or Region:
Rock Creek
Location:
Rock Creek - previous avalanche activity

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
None Experienced

Key Points

Went for a quick tour up Rock Creek to look at reported wet loose avlanches from the past 48 hours and found none. There have been plenty of roller balls, some large, and plenty of previous wet snow instability from rain on 3/14. No evidence of wet snow instability in this area today.

Media

Rain runnels and roller balls from 3/14 and 3/15
Increasing clouds in Rock Creek 3/18/23

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Sunny
Temperature:
32F
Wind:
Light , SW

Increasing clouds throughout the day. A cool breeze kept the surface snow from becoming wet.

Avalanche Observations

 #  Date Location Size Type Bed Sfc Depth Trigger Comments Photo
4 Within the past week Red Mountain E Face
E NTL 		D2.5 3' N-Natural
Multiple crown lines on the E face of Red Mountain

Snowpack Observations

Below 8000′ around the entrance to Rock Creek a rain crust is making travel conditions difficult. Today this was lees of an issue in the afternoon as the snow warmed up.

At 9400′ on a neutral aspect the surface was intermittent wind and melt freeze crusts over decomposing and fragmented precipitation particles from the last strom. Ski pen. was 0-5cm. Boot pen was 25cm. HS was 310cm. The late february surface was down 145cm.

It seems like there are two options for good riding right now: Strong solar snow that is going through a melt-freeze cycle, and higher elevation north, which probably still holds soft snow.

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