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Getting warmer...
Location Name:
BNSF Avalanche Program-JFS Canyon
Observation date:
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - 17:15
Is this an Avalanche Observation:
Yes
Observation made by:
Public
Location
Tabs
Quick Observation
Travelled up the Shed 6/7 ridge to the Shed 7 weather station then up to the Snowslip weather station.
Descended the Shed 7 W path
Also drove a couple times along Hwy 2 in JFS Canyon to view and document recent avalanche activity.
Clear skies overnight and all day. Calm or light and variable winds.
Air temperatures were inverted this morning with readings in the high teens to low 20s °F at the Canyon floor and the low-30s °F above 6000 feet. At 1630 it is pushing 60°F here in Essex and has warmed to the high-40s to low-50s °F up in our high elevation terrain.
Last night’s supportable melt freeze crust began breaking down on sunny slopes around 10 am.
Ski penetration on the way out via Shed 7 W was only about 4-6” above 5000 feet. Became quite punchy below there in a much shallower snowpack that is primarily composed of wet facets at this point.
Quick pit at 6400 feet on a SE aspect in Shed 7 West. Snow depth=60” with the upper 6” moist but still cold, dry snow below that to the ground. Top 16” was 4F hardness with 1F hardness below that to the bottom
Stability tests: ECTX and CTN.
Large cornices exist in the Shed 7 West and Infinity paths. No chunks had broken off yet as of 1500.
Wet loose avalanches continue to step down into deeper layers in the snowpack and in some instances are gouging down to the ground.
In a few cases (Infinity & 1163) wet loose debris had triggered small slabs releasing on deeply buried weak layers (photos)
The majority of activity is on steep, rocky slopes with sunny aspects and a shallow and weak faceted snowpack.
Some of the new activity observed since yesterday includes:
Shed 10 Feeder path, ran yesterday and this afternoon, D2.5, debris term. ¾ path above rail
Shed 8, looker’s L & R lower headwalls, ran yesterday, D1.5s, debris terminated above rail
Infinity, ran yesterday D2, and early this afternoon D2.5, debris terminated ¾ path above rail
Path 1163, multiple point releases mostly on the looker’s L upper headwall today, D2s, debris ran ¾ path terminating above the rail grade.
Lower angled paths with a deeper snowpack such as Shed 7, upper Shed 8, and upper Shed 9 have had minimal activity with only small wet loose confined to the upper few inches of snow.
Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details:
Date and Time of Avalanche:
Monday, March 18, 2019 - 17:15
Avalanche Type:
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche:
Shed 8
Trigger
Trigger:
natural
Terrain
Starting Elevation:
near-treeline
Size
Destructive Size:
D1.5
Date and Time of Avalanche:
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - 07:15
Avalanche Type:
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche:
Trigger
Trigger:
natural
Terrain
Starting Elevation:
near-treeline
Size
Destructive Size:
D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.
