Avalanche Advisory for 2014-12-05 06:31:07

Good morning all and welcome to the 2014/2015 Winter season! The MSAC is excited for the snow we already have on the ground and more in the forecast. What a welcome sight after last winter.

Yesterday, I took a tour up into the Old Ski Bowl (OSB) to about 8,500 feet. Beginning at Bunny Flat, snow conditions are still marginal with thin coverage and only about 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. Snow depth increased naturally as progress was made up the road into the OSB. Overall, 2-3 feet of snow was measured in the OSB area. Coverage was better than I expected in the bowl and I skied up to the base of Green Butte to an elevation of 8,500 feet. It was raining at approximately 1130, however temps and snow levels fluctuated a bit during the day. By 1230 to 1300, small ice pellets were falling from the sky. Snow levels overall hovered around 8,500 to 9,000 feet. Snow conditions were poor for skiing below 9,000 feet, however above here some decent skiing was reported from 9 to 11,000 feet in Avalanche Gulch. Visibility was poor for most of the day.

We have a little bit of everything within the snowpack currently. Thick and thin rain crusts; dryer layers between crusts in the middle of the snowpack; wet, saturated snow  near the surface of the snowpack. The warm temps are allowing for some nice "paste" for a good base. Stability tests gave no noteable results.

Castle Lake area still has no snow.

Mt Eddy area is hosting about a 12" of snow. I have not been up into that area yet and have received no reports.

It's early season and most know what that means... shallow buried objects and thick, wet snow. Both these factors together make risk for injury high! Take it easy and safe yourself for when the gettin' is good!   

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Terrain:  Remember most of the terrain that we like to play on is greater than 30 degrees.  Avalanches are possible on anything steeper than 30 degrees.  Avoid cornices, rock bands, terrain traps and runout zones of avalanche paths.

Weather:  Most of our areas avalanche danger will occur 24-48 hours after a storm. We still can see persistent weak layers from time to time and we always will be sure to let you know about that!  Heed the basic signs: Wind (significant snow transport and depositions), Temperature (rain/snow/rain/snow, which in turn weakens the snowpack), and Precipitation (Snow or rain add weight and stress to the current snowpack).

Snowpack:  If snow accumulates, give the snowpack a chance to adjust to the new snow load before you play on or near steep slopes (greater than 30 degrees).  Most direct action avalanches occur within 24-48 hours of recent snowfall.  Watch for obvious signs of snowpack instability such as recent natural avalanche activity, collapsing of the snowpack (often associated with a “whumphing” sound), and shooting cracks. If you see these signs of instability, limit your recreation to lower angle slopes.

Human Factor: Don’t forget to carry and know how to use avalanche rescue gear. You should NOT be skiing or climbing potential avalanche slopes without having beacons, shovels, and probes.  Only one person in a group should be exposed to potential avalanche danger at a time.  Remember, climbing, skiing, and riding down the edge of slopes is safer than being in the center.  Just because another person is on a slope doesn’t mean that it is safe.  Be an individual!  Make your own decisions.  Heed the signs of instability: rapid warming, “whumphing” noises, shooting cracks, snowing an inch an hour or more, rain, roller balls, wind loading, recent avalanche activity.

The Five Red Flags of Avalanche Danger any time of year include:  1) Recent/current avalanche activity  2) Whumpfing sounds or shooting cracks  3) Recent/current heavy snowfall  4) Strong winds transporting snow  5) Rapid warming or rain on snow.