Mickey's Big Mouth

Location Name: 
Forecaster Observation - central Flathead Range
Observation date: 
Sunday, March 1, 2020 - 18:45
Is this an Avalanche Observation: 
Yes
Observation made by: Forecaster

Location

Tabs

Quick Observation

Wandered through all three elevation bands on the shady side of a ridge in the central Flathead Range, to assess various avalanche problems.

  • Morning snow showers (flurries? squalls?) dropped 1-3" of low density snow that turned moist by mid afternoon on southerly, low-elevation slopes. This snow was blowing around at upper elevations after winds picked up early afternoon. We found only a few spots near a 7600 ft summit where it appeared to be accumulating into drifts. No signs of instability in these drifts, yet. 
  • We saw one small natural dry snow sluff (avalanche details tab) on a steep, mid-elevation, forested slope while we were ascending. This sluff involved the morning's snow. Though we did not descend this terrain, it seemed we were likely to trigger similar sluffs.
  • Older wind slabs (4-8" thick) near ridges and in open, easterly bowls did not crack or collapse under multiple skiers. 
  • We saw the debris from ~half dozen natural wet loose slides that probably ran Friday (avalanche details tab). These slides ran on southerly slopes, with the debris reaching lower tracks or runouts. We saw nothing similar on steep, northerly slopes. 
  • Below the new snow, we found spongy or grabby crusts on mid elevation westerly slopes below about 6500 feet. Similar crusts were also present on northerly slopes below about 5000 feet. Our travel on southerly slopes was limited to low elevations, where the new snow fell on a hard and supportable crust. 

We climbed and skied slopes to 40 degrees one at a time, including a very large avalanche path that ran to the valley floor. There were more of these potent runs, maybe a six pack's worth, but one was enough for the day. 

Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images: 
Travel Details
Region: 
Flathead Range - Middle Fork Corridor
Route Description: 

to 7600 feet

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: 
N
NE
E
SE
W
NW
Red Flags: 
Blowing snow
Persistent Weak Layers: 
Not observed
New Snow in the past 24 hours: 
2.00in.
More comments about the snowpack and weather: 
Light to moderate snow showers til early afternoon, with skies cycling from broken to overcast to obscured. Winds picked up early afternoon, Moderate w Strong gusts from the southwest. Light blowing snow at ridges and in leeward basins. The morning's snow will be prone to faceting with cold temperatures and clear nights, potentially creating a thin weak layer above the crusts formed on 2/28, if it survives until buried. The snow on forested, northerly slopes below about 4600 felt wet for at least 25 cm under the surface. Southerly/ sunny slopes on Belton Hills and through Middle Fork look haggard, maybe even #tired, with lots of melt since Friday afternoon.
Blowing Snow: 
Light
Wind Speed: 
Moderate (Small trees sway)
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Snow line: 
3000
Sky Cover: 
Overcast (OVC)
Highest Precipitation Rate: 
Moderate Snowfall (S2)
Avalanche Details
Avalanche Details: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 15:30
Number of avalanches: 
3
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

Debris piles to runouts in steep gullies on the south face of Essex Mountain. Couldn't see start elevation, or determine whether debris piles below individual gullies represented debris from 1 slide or from several funneled into on gully. Deepest debris pile looked to be 8' or so deep. 

Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
natural
Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
South
Starting Elevation: 
near-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
1000ft.
Avalanche Location: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Friday, February 28, 2020 - 13:30
Number of avalanches: 
5
Avalanche Type: 
Wet Loose
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
Unknown
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

Debris in lower tracks from wet loose avalanches in confined gullies on the south face of Essex Mountain. 

Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
natural
Hide Terrain
Aspect: 
South
Starting Elevation: 
near-treeline
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D1 Relatively harmless to people.
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
500ft.
Avalanche Location: 
Date and Time of Avalanche: 
Sunday, March 1, 2020 - 11:45
Number of avalanches: 
1
Avalanche Type: 
Loose Dry/ Sluff
Failure Plane/Weak Layer: 
New/old snow interface
More information or comments about the avalanche: 

Small natural sluff on steep slope below rock band. Invovled this morning's snow.

Hide Trigger
Trigger: 
natural
Hide Terrain
Start Zone Slope Angle: 
40
Aspect: 
North
Starting Elevation: 
5750
Hide Size
Destructive Size: 
D1 Relatively harmless to people.
Relative Size: 
R1 Very Small
Avalanche Length (Vertical Run): 
25ft.
Avalanche Width (Average width): 
5ft.
Avalanche Location: