Observer Name
Meisenheimer / Staples
Observation Date
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Region
Salt Lake » Bountiful
Location Name or Route
Bountiful (Skyline Drive)
Elevation
8,200'
Aspect
Northeast
Slope Angle
35°
Trigger
Natural
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
2'
Width
150'
Vertical
200'
Comments
This natural avalanche must have happened 15 minutes before we arrived. The debris was fresh, and only portions of the crown were getting filled back in from the strong winds and loading. This avalanche averaged about 2' feet deep, but it was closer to 3.5' deep in one spot.
Strong south and southwest winds were loading snow onto slopes and creating a much denser slab of snow over the weak snow. It seems that these winds are what the snowpack needed to make it more unstable and natural activity happen. In this area, we found a 1 finger slab over faceted snow where the avalanche failed. It would have been a nasty ride as this area has several rock bands that the avalanche ran through.
Coordinates