All you can eat cinnamon rolls

Location Name: 
Forecaster Observation- Central GNP
Observation date: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 14:00
Is this an Avalanche Observation: 
Yes
Observation made by: Forecaster

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Quick Observation

Day off tour in the Park racing to beat the warmup and catch a few views.

  • At low elevations, the snow never refroze overnight, making for wet or moist surface conditions.
  • Clouds hung around until 11:30, gifting us with a longer window than expected to ski steep, southerly terrain at mid and upper elevations, where there was about a foot of dry powder over the 2/23 crust. The few wind drifts that we ski cut were unreactive.
  • Within minutes of the clouds parting, there were more cinnamon rolls than an all-you-can eat Cinnabon store. We were amazed at how rapidly conditions changed. We immediately boogied out of avalanche terrain and called it a day.
  • Upon returning to the trailhead around noon, we spotted over 30 loose wet slides that ran naturally on Southerly and West aspects on Stanton, Vaught, the Garden Wall, and Cannon. These were all viewed from a distance but appeared to be D1 to D2 in size. We left before the peak of warming.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images: 
Travel Details
Region: 
Glacier National Park - McDonald Lake Area
Route Description: 

to 7400'

Activity: 
Skiing
Snowpack Details
Snowpack and Weather Details: 
Hide Terrain
Elevation of observation: 
3500-5000 ft
5000-6500 ft
Above 6500 ft
Aspect(s) of observation: 
SE
S
SW
Red Flags: 
Rapid or prolonged warming
Rollerballs / pinwheels
Persistent Weak Layers: 
Not observed
New Snow in the past 24 hours: 
0.00in.
Blowing Snow: 
Previous
Wind Speed: 
Light (Twigs in motion)
Wind Direction: 
West
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Snow line: 
5000'
Sky Cover: 
Decreasing Clouds
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 12:15
Number of avalanches: 
15
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

SE to W aspects, mostly mid and upper elevations.  On Stanton, Vaught, Garden Wall, Cannon.  

Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
natural
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D1 Relatively harmless to people.
Relative Size: 
R1 Very Small
Avalanche Location: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 12:15
Number of avalanches: 
10
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

SE to W aspects, mostly mid and upper elevations.  On Stanton, Vaught, Garden Wall, Cannon.  

Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D1.5
Avalanche Location: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 12:15
Number of avalanches: 
5
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

SE to W aspects, mostly mid and upper elevations.  On Stanton, Vaught, Garden Wall, Cannon.  

Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.
Relative Size: 
R2 Small
Avalanche Location: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 13:15
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

Observed from a distance on Big Slide.  

Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
Southeast
Starting Elevation: 
near-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D2.5
Relative Size: 
R2 Small
Avalanche Location: