Avalanche: South Monitor Bowl

Observer Name
mark white
Observation Date
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Avalanche Date
Monday, December 22, 2014
Region
Salt Lake » Park City Ridgeline » Monitors » South Monitor Bowl
Location Name or Route
South Monitor Bowl
Elevation
10,000'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
36°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
18"
Width
250'
Vertical
800'
Comments

This avalanche in E-SE facing South Monitor Bowl looks to have run yesterday in my opinion but not sure, 200-250ft wide at the crown narrowing as it traveled down slope, running full track to the flats, thinking that wind loading was one of the major factors in this slide, Its located in a spot where the wind blasts snow through the saddle and usually creates a large wind deposit in this area, crown was 1 to 2 ft deep and blown in. Not sure of the weak layer did not inspect the crown but seems likely that it was either facets and light density on the surface before the storm, or the heat crust with large grain facets underlying it which I noted in my ob from Sunday, either way it was in the upper portion of the pack and not at the ground interface.

Coordinates