Pro Field Report
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
April 4, 2022Submitted:
April 5, 2022Observer:
SAC - VandenBosZone or Region:
Banner SummitLocation:
Copper (6,900-9,000, primarily S-SW-W-NW-N)Signs of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
None ObservedCracking?
IsolatedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
FairConfidence in Rating:
ModerateStability Trend:
WorseningBottom Line
An intense storm was buillding wind slabs in and upper elevation terrain.
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
ObscuredWind:
Extreme , SWNew/Recent Snowfall:
15-20cm at highway by 1800. Too much wind to get a good sense for how much it was snowing up high.Afternoon tour to check on the storm, 1600-1800. Snowing S1-S3 throughout duration of tour. Strong to extreme average speeds, wind blowing out of the WSW-SW-SSW
Avalanche Observations
No avalanches observed, but visibility was terrible and I couldn't really see anything.
Snowpack Observations
Primary objective was to check in on the storm in progress. She was raging. Intense snowfall rates and strong to extreme winds were observed throughout the duration of my tour at all elevations. I encountered drifts up to 60m thick where the wind was depositing snow. In many places the wind was scouring the new snow down to the icy surface that formed during our heatwave (4/4 interface). I was able to kick a few pockets of wind slab off on small rolls, these failed on the 4/4 surface. The terrain I was in wasn't conducive to hosting larger slabs but I'd be pretty leery of encountering slabs like this in steep terrain with larger slabs.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wind Slab
|
|
Layer Depth/Date: 30-60cm thick |
Terrain Use
I avoided steep, recently wind loaded terrain.