Avalanche: Exxons Folley

Observer Name
T. Matthews
Observation Date
Monday, January 25, 2021
Avalanche Date
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Region
Moab » Gold Basin » Exxons Folley
Location Name or Route
Exxons Folly
Elevation
11,200'
Aspect
North
Slope Angle
40°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2.5'
Width
500'
Vertical
600'
Comments
Second nature cycle of the season for the La Sals. This slope produced a smaller natural avalanche on 12/28/20. I suspect this avalanche failed during the peak PI rates of yesterdays storm. The 5+ inches of new snow that fell on Friday into Saturday morning was not enough of a new load to tip the scales, but that 5+ combined with last nights 9+ inches was enough to tip the scales. Could have also been loaded up from the southerly winds. Judging by the approximate depth of the crown and the lack of overall snowfall I think this failed on old November facets. Debris looked to be fairly smooth, so I am calling this avalanche a soft slab. SS-N-R3-D2-O
Coordinates