Avalanche: Turnagain

Location: Tincan

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

Standard route to 3250′ on ridge. Looking at surface conditions and crust supportability, rain/snowline, new snow amounts, wind effect, glide cracks and skier/snowmachine traffic at the Pass.

***Fun springtime observation of Belugas in the Arm near Petersen Creek.

Avalanche Details
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Trigger NaturalRemote Trigger0
Avalanche Type UnknownAspect South Southeast
Elevation 3000ftSlope Angleunknown
Crown DepthunknownWidthunknown
Vertical Rununknown  
Avalanche Details

Recent glide avalanche off of the ridge line east of the Hope Wye

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?No
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?No
Observer Comments

Recent glide avalanche
Minor cracking along wind loaded ridge and small cornice features. Minor wet/moist sluffing on steep solar aspects with new snow. Minor roller ball activity with the new snow and ski turns.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

Broken skies, clouds building in the afternoon
Light rain/snow showers on and off
Easterly winds in the teens gusting into the 20s
Temps: 40Fs at road level, low 30Fs at the ridge

Snow surface

Supportable wet crust to 2100'.
Trace of wet snow on the crust at 2100' up to 2500' transitioned to 1-3" of wet to moist snow on the crust to ridge on southerly aspect to high point at 3250'.
Northside at 3250' 4" of dry(ish)snow over small surface hoar and facets

Snowpack

HS @ 1000': 100 cm
HS @ 1500': 110 cm
HS @ 2000': 150 cm
HS @ 2500': 200 cm
HS @ 3200': 210cm to over 3M probe
Supportable crust from road to ridge. Steep southerly was most punchy late in the day but boot pen was minimal
Dug in at 3250' on Northside of Tincan. HS: 190'. Dug down 100 cm. The new 4" of snow was sliding easily off the old snow interface on 2-3 mm surface hoar and 1mm facets. Shovel tilt easy, Compression test 5 taps. Nothing notable below with the exception of a 4 cm melt freeze crust down 50 cm sandwiched between coldish snow. No weakness at this interface.
Dug in on Southside of the ridge. New snow was very moist and stuck to crust below. Melt-freeze Crust was 10" thick. Pencil hard moist snow below. Both the north and south side still have winterish snow below the respective melt-freeze crusts that has not become wet or isothermal.

Photos & Video
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