Sign Up for the Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW) on December 7th!

Avalanche: Tuscarora

Observer Name
Craig Gordon
Observation Date
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Avalanche Date
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Region
Salt Lake » Big Cottonwood Canyon » Tuscarora
Location Name or Route
Tuscarora Bowl
Elevation
10,500'
Aspect
East
Slope Angle
39°
Trigger
Natural
Trigger: additional info
Cornice Triggered
Avalanche Type
Hard Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
4.5'
Width
400'
Vertical
800'
Comments
[Forecaster Comment: We received three reports of this avalanche from three snow safety professionals, and photos and some comments have been summarized into this single observation.]
Overview of large, meaty, natural slide in Tuscarora Bowl. Top image looking up into choke where I think a piece of cornice peeled off the ridge, triggering a couple slabs out of the main chute, which then crashed down on the slope below. This avalanche was packing heat, jumping the bench which normally gobbles up debris and spilling onto the steep slope below. Knowing that the lower slope avalanched, my group utilized the bed surface with a little fresh snow on top as our exit strategy.
Comments
A super strong pencil slab sits on top of 4 finger facets and all this rests on a heat crust close to the ground
Coordinates