Wind Slab Avalanche on Tamarack Peak

Location Name: Tamarack Peak Region: Mount Rose Area Observation Date & Time: Tuesday, December 27, 2022 - 15:00
Location: 39.314500, -119.917510 See map: CalTopo	Is this an Avalanche Observation?: Yes Conditions Alerts: Avalanche Activity Recent Loading Recent Loading›Blowing Snow Recent Loading›More Than a Foot of New Snow Terrain Alerts: Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees Obvious Slide Path Terrain Matches the Advisory

Observation made by: Forecaster

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Observation

Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions:

We saw this avalanche during a tour on 12/28/22. The snowpit and other data collected on 12/28 did not show any signs of lingering instability. Click here to see that observation. It looks like it was caused by a cornice collapse during the storm on 12/27/22. It failed at the base of the storm snow on the old snow surface which was comprised of small near surface facets.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph:

Snowpack Details

Total Snow Depth:

215cm

Persistent Weak Layers:

Buried

Terrain Details

Terrain: elevations:

Near Treeline

Terrain: aspects:

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Type:

Wind Slab

Failure Plane/Weak Layer:

New/old snow interface

Trigger

Trigger:

Natural

Trigger Modifier:

Cornice Fall Triggered

Terrain

Start Zone Slope Angle:

38degrees

Aspect:

Northeast

Starting Elevation:

near-treeline

Size

Destructive Size:

D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.

Relative Size:

R3 Medium

Crown Height:

3 ft

Avalanche Width (Average width):

180ft.

Avalanche Length (Vertical Run):

500ft.

People Involved

Number of people caught:

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Wind Slab Avalanche on Tamarack Peak

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Wind Slab Avalanche on Tamarack Peak

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