Observer Name
Shepard Mcclellan
Observation Date
Friday, February 13, 2026
Avalanche Date
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Region
Ogden » Ben Lomond » Chilly Peak Slabs
Location Name or Route
North face of chilly peak
Elevation
8,300'
Aspect
North
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
10"
Width
20'
Comments
We traveled from North Ogden Divide to Chilly Peak between 6,500–8,500 ft, primarily on SE–NE aspects. We observed multiple naturalvalanches (SS-N-R1-D1) on steep (≥35°) E–N facing slopes between 8,200-7,200ft mostly below cliff bands. These likely occurred during the previous day’s warming event. Avalanches appeared to initiate from roller balls and in several cases stepped down to a mid-storm density change or the new/old snow interface. Debris piles were small with limited runout.
We found 3–6 inches (8–15 cm) of high-density new snow, largely composed of graupel, on all aspects, with greater accumulations on wind-loaded E–NE–N slopes above 7,500 ft. A pronounced mid-storm graupel layer forms a density inversion that shears easily in hand pits. Snowpack structure varied by aspect and elevation: SE–S-W slopes held little prior snow, though melt-freeze crusts (MFcr) underlie the new snow where present and bonding appeared good on E aspects during informal testing. On shaded northerlies, 4F–F hard rounding facets exist beneath the new snow and represent the primary weak layer of concern.
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