Avalanche: Chablis 3/27/2011

Observer Name: 
Nalli
Observation Date: 
03/27/2011
Occurrence Date: 
03/27/2011
Occurrence Time: 
Unknown
Region: 
Provo
Provo Canyon
Chablis
Location Name: 
Upper Chablis Bowl
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Location

40° 22' 15.798" N, 111° 36' 55.5372" W
Avalanche Characteristics
Elevation: 
9900'
Aspect: 
East
Slope Angle: 
38
Trigger: 
Natural
Avalanche Type: 
Hard Slab
Depth (avg): 
2"
Width: 
150'
Vertical: 
400'
General Comments

7" @ .77" H2O fell over the last 24 hours bringing the storm total at 7500' since Thurs. the 24th to 24" @ 2.6"H2O.  This latest avalanche cycle appears to mostly just involve the latest snowfall, but there was at least one larger slide in the northern Timp Basin that has brought the King Crust into question.  The slide pictured below in Upper Chablis Bowl was triggered naturally by a small LS slide falling off the cliff above and landing on the new dense windslab.  It is at 9900', E aspect, and fell 400' vert.  With each of these latest storm impulses, the new snow has bonded fairly well to the old surface.  At least at first.  The warm spring weather is leaving a lot of heat in the snow at the surface and I believe these melt layers are creating facets a couple days after they get buried.  I've seen evidence of this in many places, but I've yet to actually link it to any real slides.  Again today, I was unable to get close to one of these to confirm. 

2011-03-27 Upper Chablis.jpg
General Comments 2

This one in Slide Canyon is at a similar aspect and elevation as the one in Chablis.  Not quite as deep.  Moving NE from here, there were also slides in each major drainage through the fingers and into Cascade Cirque.  

2011-03-27 SC Shot 15.jpg
General Comments 3

Most of the snow I walked in today was wind affected to some degree.  It had the classic dense, slabby feel to it and sometimes produced shooting cracks that did not propagate far.  I was by myself today and as much as I wanted to get on some steeper slopes, the hard slab conditions kept me from feeling comfortable on anything over 35deg.  Still good skiing on the lower angle though.  Very Good.

2011-03-27 Crack.jpg
General Comments 4

New sastrugi on the windward side of things.

2011-03-27 Sastrugi.jpg
AttachmentSize
2011-03-27 Ipana Low.jpg964.22 KB
2011-03-27 UFO.jpg319.37 KB
2011-03-27 Stewarts.jpg589.41 KB
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