In partnership with: 
State of the Snowpack for 1/23/2021 - 1/29/2021
Submitted by andy on Fri, 01/29/2021 - 17:22
Dates of the Week:
1/23/2021 to 1/29/2021
Update 2/5/2021: Widespread avalanche cycle occurred during and immediately after the large storm event on Jan 27-29. Reports of persistent slab avalanches occurring in many areas of the forecast region along with many wind slab avalanches. Delayed reports due to limited visibility and continued storm conditions.
- Persistent slab - Reported avalanches (1 human-triggered, 2 natural - both wind slabs failing on buried surface hoar - nothing that failed on deeper weak layers)
- Wind slab - Reported avalanches (2 human-triggered, 2 natural)
- Storm slab - Reported avalanches (2 human-triggered, 1 natural - all small - D1)
- Rain crusts on all aspects on 1/22. Near crust facets below the rain crust. Dec 11 facets still present in the lower snowpack.
- Cold light snow buried the crust and surface hoar formed on top of that snow before getting buried in some places by a second wave of cold light snow.
- 4-6 ft of storm snow buried those weak layers Tuesday - Saturday.
- Light snow (2-5 inches) with shifting winds (SW to NE) on 1/23-1/24
- Another snow event on Sunday night through Monday night with up to a foot of snow
- Atmospheric river event Tuesday night through Saturday morning with storm totals of 4 to 6 ft of new snow and SW - S winds.
