Public Observation
Observation Details
Observation Date:
March 4, 2021Submitted:
March 4, 2021Zone or Region:
Warm Lake areaActivity:
Skiing/SnowboardingLocation:
S.F. Salmon drainageObserved Avalanches
Did you observe any avalanches?
YesAvalanche Type:
Wet LooseSize:
Size 2: Could bury, injure, or kill a personElevation:
7600’Aspect:
WComments:
Wet slides in steep terrain.Photo:
Signs of Unstable Snow
Observations
Spring like conditions snow conditions were the theme today. Icy, frozen snow on all aspects up to 6000’. 6000’ and above had dry snow only on the shadiest nw,n, and ne aspects. All other aspects had a varying thickness of solar crust.
The warm temperatures has taken its toll on the snow. We observed wet slides in steep west facing terrain, large refrigerator sized cornice chunks broken off during the warming spell, and many roller balls.
All of the instabilities we observed were from the snow warming and solar affect. We did not see any deeper slab activity and not nearly as much wet slides as I was expecting. Still we traveled cautiously, gave cornices a wide berth, and were done skiing by 3pm to avoid the sticky, unsupportive snow.
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