Snowpack Obs on Carpenter Ridge

Location Name: 
Red Mountain
Region: 
Independence Lake Area
Observation Date & Time: 
Sunday, January 31, 2021 - 02:30
Location: 
39.391291, -120.292090
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
Yes


Conditions Alerts:

  • Avalanche Activity
  • Persistent Problem
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming›Rollerballs / Pinwheels
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming›Strong Sunshine
  • Rapid or Prolonged Warming›Warm Temperatures

Terrain Alerts: 
Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees
Obvious Slide Path
Terrain Traps
Observation made by: Public

Tabs

Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

Touring around Red Mountain Sunday afternoon, we saw several naturally triggered avalanches.  they looked partially blown in with new snow but it seems they went late in the big storm. We dug a pit with these results:

Elevation: 7100

Aspect: NE

Total Snow Depth:210 cm

First rain crust (between new snow): 90 CM from ground, Near Crust Facets below this crust failed PST 55/100

Second rain Crust: 80 Cm from ground (this seemed to be healing well)

December 11th facets: PST 45/100 (close to ground, pack seemed very shallow at this point in time)
Hide Snowpack Details
Total Snow Depth: 
210cm
Persistent Weak Layers: 
Buried
Hide Terrain Details
Terrain: elevations: 
Below Treeline
Terrain: aspects: 
NE
Hide Avalanche Details
Avalanche Type: 
Unknown
Additional number of similar avalanches: 
2
Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
Natural
Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
Northeast
Starting Elevation: 
near-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D3 Could bury and destroy a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few trees.
Relative Size: 
R3 Medium
Crown Height: 
2 ft
Avalanche Width (Average width): 
60ft.
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
500ft.
Hide People Involved
Number of people caught: 
0
Hide Weather Details
Elevation of Observation: 
7000 - 8000 ft.
Sky Cover: 
Few - Mostly Clear - up to 2/8 covered
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
BESbswy