Observation: Skyline 1/31/2012

Observer Name:

Matt Selman, Jed Hancock

Region:

Skyline

Observation Date:

01/31/2012

Location or Route:

Upper Electric Lake

Weather

Sky:

Clear

Wind Direction:

Northwest

Wind Speed:

Light

Weather Comments:

Weather was mostly sunny and warm with some thin cloud cover coming and going--a bluebird ski day! Forecast predicts 2-5 inches of snowfall by Friday.

Snow Characteristics

Snow Surface Conditions:

Powder

Snow Characteristic Comments:

Great skiing/riding conditions on north through east faces today. We found fun, fast powder in low angle, mid-to-upper elevation terrain.

Red Flags

Recent Avalanches

Wind Loading

Cracking

Collapsing

Red Flag Comments:

Observed several recent avalanches all over the Skyline today (see Skyline Avalanche List for a photo of a large slide that ran on Phone Shot), mostly on steep, upper-elevation north- and east-facing terrain. As has been happening frequently on the Skyline lately, we experienced several "whoomphing" collapses on our skin track today, some limited to our immediate vicinity and others sending surface cracks 10-15 yards on either side of us. Larger collapses seemed to be associated with natural weaknesses such as treewells and bushes. Because the pack on the Skyline continues to show signs of high instability, we limited ourselves to slope angles below 28 degrees.

Primary Concern

Primary Concern:

Persistent Slabs

Probability:

High

Aspect:

North

Northeast

East

Elevation:

High

Mid

Trend:

Same

Primary Concern Comments:

Everywhere we've been on the Skyline recently, we've seen the same weakness.

snow_profile_location:

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 1)

Total snow depth at this elevation was 95 cm. We performed and extended column test which failed at 30 cm (ECT 13, Q1) and propagated nicely across the entire column. A second test yielded a fracture at 43 cm as well. The third image below (blue shovel photo) shows the quality of facets near the ground. The facets on the lower part of the photo were at ground level, the upper portion was directly above it. Our extended column failed at the interface between these two facet layers. The final image below is a detail of the facets at the failed layer interface.

snowProfile1-31-2012electricLake.001.jpg

Comments - Photos - Videos (group 2)

Although it's not listed on this website, the Skyline Beacon Basin is operational! It's located on top of Skyline at the Big Drift (where the kiteboarders go).

Observed Danger Rating:

High

Forecast Danger Rating:

High