Loose Dry Sluffs and Cold New Snow in Deep Creek

4 to 8 inches of cold light snow existed on top of a supportable snow from Tuesday and Wed. This cold light snow did not exhibit slab characteristics in the Deep creek area and would sluff off of steep slopes as a result of ski cuts, ski kicks, or large cornice pieces dropped onto the slope. On the wind loaded test slopes where cornices did exist these cornices remained easy to trigger but they did not cause any slab fractures in the slopes below them. One wind loaded test slope that we had previously undercut did crack and fail about 12 to 16 inches down. Snowpit and hand pit observations and data did not reveal any signs of instability including a full snowpit dug next to a deep slab avalanche that likely occurred on Jan 10th. Snow seems to be bonding to the Jan 9th rain crust and wet snow still existed below the Jan 9th rain crust. Between 10 am and 4 pm about 6 inches of new snow accumulated on our skin track. Winds remained calm all day.

Photo 1: Loose dry sluff triggered by a small cornice dropped onto the slope.

Photo 2. The wind loaded test slope that cracked and failed with a hard ski kick after previously being undercut.

Photo 3: Settlement crack around the base of a tree.