Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
March 30, 2022 - March 30, 2022Submitted:
March 30, 2022Observer:
Geoff Unger | Key ObserverZone or Region:
Mammoth LakesLocation:
Hammil Bowl AreaSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
IsolatedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
GoodConfidence in Rating:
HighStability Trend:
SteadyKey Points
Today we toured up to the Hammil Bowl to look for soft wintry snow from the recent storm. Starting from Twin Lakes Trailhead at 7AM we encountered crunchy, refrozen snow on the road up to Lake Mary and in the trees to reach the upper end of Coldwater. As we climbed up toward Hammil Lake we found pockets of soft snow on the surface, but any feature that was tipped toward the sun had a crust on it. Above Hammil Lake we found what we were looking for, but the wind had also textured the surface of the snow making us wary of windslab up near the ridge. We observed old wind slab triggered within the last 48 hours and had some cracking, but did not trigger any wind slab ourselves. Overall it was a pleasant day, but the snow surface conditions won’t last long with the warm temperatures and long days as we move into the heart of spring.
Media
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Mostly CloudyWind:
Calm
The morning started off cool with below freezing temperatures at the trailhead, but by 10 AM it was quite warm with temperature and radiation impacting the snow surface on East and South Aspects.
Avalanche Observations
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Comments | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Past 48 hours |
Hammil Bowl Dead End Chutes NE 10,700 |
D1 | SS | O-Old Snow | 10-15cm | AS-Skier | Saw this little pocket that a skier may have triggered by booting up a small dead-end chute in Upper Hammil Bowl. |
|
Snowpack Observations
On our way up the Upper portion of Hammil Bowl we saw a small windslab that may have been skier triggered yesterday. See observation above. Then as we climbed higher we weren’t surprised to find some isolated cracking in the middle of the bowl where we set the skin track. By creating an unsupported environment with the track in terrain approaching 38 degrees we were able to get a shooting crack in the surface snow. The crack ran about 20 feet out from the leaders skis and the depth was about 15cm.