Pro Field Report

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
March 4, 2022
Submitted:
March 7, 2022
Observer:
SAC - VandenBos (off duty)
Zone or Region:
Banner Summit
Location:
Cape Horn (6,700-9,000'. primarily SW-S-SE-E-NE)

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
None Observed
Cracking? 
None Experienced
Collapsing? 
Isolated
I experienced a few muffled collapses while walking on a low angle ridge line on SE-S facing slopes.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Good
Confidence in Rating: 
Moderate
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Advanced Information

Snowpack Observations

Continuing the hunt/inventory of weak layers in the upper portion of the snowpack. The pattern in the Banner Summit area is becoming somewhat more clear. I think we can divide these weak layers into a lower weak layer (buried 1/20, this is the top of the January drought interface), and a upper weak layer (2/27, this is the base of the wet storm, and is the weak layer that formed during the very cold and generally calm weather before that storm). There are 3 interfaces sandwiched between these two layers, on of which is the Valentine's Day crust (which formed mostly on 2/9 and was buried 2/14). This layer is fairly apparent on solars but hasn't produced unstable scores that I have seen, though I haven't been targeting it specifically. So, the simplify, thinking about the upper pack as 1/20, 2/14, and 2/27 seems reasonable.

I dug on E and NE, both at 8,700'. Mixed results, no propagating scores on 1/20 (ECTNs in low teens), but two out of 3 ECTs propagated on 2/27 in the NE pit (ECTP 8 and 14), where the layer presented as FCsf on a subtle MFcr. There were SH xtals accompanying both layers.