Wind Slabs on Tamarack Peak

Gentle ski kicks from low angle terrain on the ridgeline triggered wind slab avalanches on wind loaded N-NE facing slopes on the far east ridge of Tamarack Peak. Ski kicks also trigger widespread, long shooting cracks on wind loaded slopes in the area. The wind slabs failed on a density change in the storm snow and measured up to 2 ft in depth. Large cornices and continued wind transport were observed throughout the day in near and above treeline terrain. In more sheltered near and below treeline terrain, loose dry sluffs occurred resulting from ski cuts on steep terrain features in many areas. By early afternoon some minor shooting cracks started to occur on steep test slopes in sheltered non wind affected terrain but these cracks did not travel very far nor were they very widespread. Snowpit observations and tests targeting storm slab instabilities showed several density changes in the storm snow but did not indicate that fracture propagation along these layers was likely in sheltered non wind affected areas in the Tamarack Peak zone at that time.