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Bad News Bears
Location Name:
Forecaster Observation - WMR Sidecountry
Observation date:
Saturday, March 16, 2019 - 16:45
Is this an Avalanche Observation:
No
Observation made by:
Forecaster
Tabs
Quick Observation
Opportunistic obs while helping with SAR team training.
Only isolated effects of sun/ warming as of this morning. Most snow surfaces remained dry. The exception was steep westerly slopes (Skook Chutes), where extensive rollerballs had run from rocks and trees at the top of the slopes. These did not entrain much, if any, snow as they rolled downslope, so they triggered only a few very small, shallow sluffs.
Cloud cover thinner than forecast, with above-freezing temperatures at the summit by mid afternoon. Snow surfaces were moist wherever exposed to direct sun. Shaded slopes stayed dry.
A ski cut on a steep, upper-elevation westerly slope mid afternoon produced very shallow loose snow sluffs.
The surface snow on sheltered northerly slopes consists of loose, dry facets and surface hoar.
No evidence of recent wind loading near ridges.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:
Travel Details
Region:
Whitefish Range - Southern (south of Coal Creek)
Route Description:
Canyon Creek, Hellroaring Pk.
Activity:
Skiing
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details:
Terrain
Elevation of observation:
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation:
N
E
SE
S
SW
W
Red Flags:
Rollerballs / pinwheels
Persistent Weak Layers:
Surface Hoar
Buried
New Snow in the past 24 hours:
0.00in.
More comments about the snowpack and weather:
The promised clouds moved in midday - high and thin. A lot of radiation in the meantime. Generally calm winds, with some light gusts. Summit of Hellroaring had older cornices and drifts; covered by about 5" of recent snow and surface hoar. ECTN on steep test slope below cornice. Did find a surface hoar layer present in this profile (N. 6600 ft) about 30 cm below surface. ECTN 16. Ski cuts on 40* WSW facing slope (6600') produced only minor sluffs of dry, faceted snow, and a few thin, slab-like chuchunks. Quick test profile on a west-facing slope at 6400 showed 30 cm of settled storm snow, F+ to 4F, sitting on 2 cm, P hard crust. ECTN 21 at this interface.
Blowing Snow:
None
Wind Speed:
Calm (No air motion)
Air temperature:
Above Freezing
Snow line:
7000
Sky Cover:
Mostly Cloudy (BRK)
Highest Precipitation Rate:
No Precipitation (NO)
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details:
Date and Time of Avalanche:
Saturday, March 16, 2019 - 16:45
