| Trigger | Skier | Remote Trigger | 0 |
| Avalanche Type | 0 | Aspect | West |
| Elevation | 2200ft | Slope Angle | 40deg |
| Crown Depth | 12in | Width | 15ft |
| Vertical Run | 30ft |
Avalanche: Turnagain
Location: Tincan Trees
Tincan up to 2,300’ – storm day with intense precip and poor visibility
Avalanche Details
Easily triggered ski cuts on steep test slopes. Slabs were barely forming and only found on wind loaded rolls.
Obvious signs of instability
| Recent Avalanches? | Yes |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | No |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | Yes |
Observer Comments
Cracking on wind affected steep slopes no greater than 15’ long
Ski cuts produced 10-12” soft slabs on 40 degree test slopes (see video)
Weather
Snow, heavy at times, accumulation ~6” between 11am and 3pm
Rain/snow line steady @ 500ft
Moderate NE winds
Mild temps, 32 F @ 1,000’
Poor visibility
Snow surface
8-16” new snow total above 2,000’ with variability due to winds
12” total at road level by 3pm
Parking lots obs: Tincan 12”, Sunburst 6-8”, Johnson Pass 2”
Snowpack
Multiple hand shears on all aspects showed a lack of cohesion in the new snow (no slabs) and good bonding between the new snow and underlying surfaces.
Underlying surfaces - 3-4” crust above 2,000 , 3-12” wet layer 1,000’-2,000
Test result in a pit @ 2,100’ showed advanced melt freeze grains that were mostly in the melt phase (Fist hardness). This structure could cause problems in the form of new slabs stepping into this wet layer and producing deep wet loose avalanches. A major heat up or intense rain would precipitate this scenario. The presence of the crust at the present time is preventing this from happening.
Storm day - snowfall was heavy at times
Rain/snow line remained around 500' and totals were in the 1 foot range by early afternoon
Trailbreaking downhill
Pit at 2,100' showed good bonding between the underlying crust and warm wet snow beneath
Profile of the pit pictured above. Tests were unremarkable mainly due to a lack of slab.