Thursday's Child(ren)

Location Name: 
Forecaster Observation - Canyon Creek
Observation date: 
Saturday, January 22, 2022 - 20:15
Is this an Avalanche Observation: 
Yes
Observation made by: Forecaster

Tabs

Quick Observation

Seat-of-the snowmobile obs from L1 class. 

  • debris from 2 recent (Thursday-Friday) large natural avalanches in southerly facing avalanche paths above Canyone Creek (avalanche tab).
  • A few roller balls on sunny, low-elevation slopes. None entrained any debris. 
  • Snow profile on northerly slope showed snowpack progressively harder w depth to early Dec. snow ~30 cm above ground. No propagating failures at this interface or others.
  • No wind effects in gladed, northerly mid elevation slopes. 

 

Travel Details
Region: 
Whitefish Range - Southern (south of Coal Creek)
Route Description: 

3500-6000'

Activity: 
Snowmobiling
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details: 
Hide Terrain
Elevation of observation: 
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation: 
E
SE
S
SW
Red Flags: 
Avalanches from the past 2 days
New Snow in the past 24 hours: 
0.00in.
Total Snow Depth: 
155
More comments about the snowpack and weather: 
Calm, with clouds hanging around the ridgelines and a few brief patches of blue sky. Profile at 6000 ft, northeasterly, HS 155 cm. F+ to P above Dec. 3 interface. Below, 1F. Rounding FC, 1-2 mm. Moist. recent MFcr not that apparent in pitwall. ECTN6/7 at 12/19 IF; ECTN12x2 down 30 cm, ECTX below, even with modified "deep ECT." Broke to ground, but directly below shovel. No crack.
Blowing Snow: 
None
Wind Speed: 
Calm (No air motion)
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Snow line: 
3000
Sky Cover: 
Mostly Cloudy (BRK)
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Thursday, January 20, 2022 - 22:15
Number of avalanches: 
2
Avalanche Type: 
Unknown
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
Unknown
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

Debris from 2 slides seen in large southerly avalanche paths above Canyon Creek. Couldn't make out crowns or starting elevation due to flat light and clouds. Debris ran to bottom of track or top of runout. Channeled in gully. Looked fresh. Likely Thursday night- Friday AM, when warming followed intense snowfall. Few rollerballs seen on sunny slopes nearby, so doubt slides were triggered by sunny periods Friday. 

Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
natural
Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
Southeast
Starting Elevation: 
near-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.
Relative Size: 
R2 Small
Hide People Involved
Number of people caught: 
0
Avalanche Location: