Observation from Powderhouse

Location Name: 
Powderhouse Peak
Region: 
Luther Pass Area (including Job and Freel)
Observation Date & Time: 
Sunday, April 5, 2020 - 12:30
Location: 
38.783341, -119.989380
See map: CalTopo
Is this an Avalanche Observation?: 
No


Conditions Alerts:

  • Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)
  • Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)›Shooting Cracks
  • Recent Loading
  • Recent Loading›Blowing Snow
  • Recent Loading›Snowfall Rates of More Than 1 in/hr

Terrain Alerts: 
Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees
Trigger Points
Terrain Traps
Observation made by: Professional Observer

Tabs

Observation
Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions: 

Toured on Luther Pass midday today looking at new storm snow. It was snowing 1 to 2 plus inches an hour for my time in the field, but near freezing temps seemed to helping more snow accumulatee at higher elevations. In non windloaded below tree line terrain around 7700 feet, I found about 4 inches of new snow. Below treeline near 8400 feet there was around 10 inches of snow. Once I got into wind loaded terrain there was a foot or more snow depending on the terrain. Wind effected snow surface and deeper drifts were evident as soon as I approached above tree line terrain. Small steep test slopes above treeline cracked and slid easily. Even on fairly benign terrain, I saw cracks propagating about 10 feet in front of my ski and fractures about a foot deep. 

Once away from wind loaded areas and below treeline, I did not observe any instabilities. 

 

Photo 1: Shooting cracks in a wind loaded test slope just above tree line. These cracks shot out a step or two before I thought they would and the slab was deeper than I anticiapted as well.

Photo 2: Only about 4 inches of new snow below tree line at around noon. 

Photo 3: Over a foot of snow in a somewhat wind loaded zone just above tree line. 

Photo 4: Temps were close to freezing and my jacket and pants became impressivley wet despite wintry snow conditions. 

BESbswy