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

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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)

Snowpack Details

Total Snow Depth:

210cm

Persistent Weak Layers:

Buried

Terrain Details

Terrain: elevations:

Below Treeline

Terrain: aspects:

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Type:

Unknown

Additional number of similar avalanches:

Trigger

Trigger:

Natural

Terrain

Aspect:

Northeast

Starting Elevation:

near-treeline

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.

People Involved

Number of people caught:

Weather Details

Elevation of Observation:

7000 - 8000 ft.

Sky Cover:

Few - Mostly Clear - up to 2/8 covered

Precipitation:

None

Air temperature:

Above Freezing

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Snowpack Obs on Carpenter Ridge

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Snowpack Obs on Carpenter Ridge

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