Sawtooth Avalanche Center

Avalanche Occurrence

View Associated Field Report

General Information

This large slab avalanche released at 9,500' on the north face of Saviers Pk in the Smoky Mountains. The slab spanned well over 1,000' and likely failed on weak faceted snow that formed during the drought.

Observer:
SAC Forecaster

Verified by SAC?
Yes

Occurrence Date:
Mar 1, 2022 (+/- 1 day)

Location:
Saviers Pk

Comments:

This persistent slab avalanche failed in a drifted area on the N face of Saviers Pk. It was approximately 1,000' wide. This avalanche is (so far) an outlier but also an indication of what the drought layer is capable of with the right slab.

Avalanche Characteristics

# of Avys:
1
Aspect:
N
Start Zone Elev:
9500ft
Size:
D2
Type:
SS-Soft Slab
Trigger:
N-Natural

Media

This large slab avalanche released at 9,500' on the north face of Saviers Pk in the Smoky Mountains. The slab spanned well over 1,000' and likely failed on weak faceted snow that formed during the drought.
This large slab avalanche released at 9,500' on the north face of Saviers Pk in the Smoky Mountains. The slab spanned well over 1,000' and likely failed on weak faceted snow that formed during the drought.