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Avalanche above Echo Lakes

Location Name: Glades east of Ralston Peak Region: Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay) Observation Date & Time: Saturday, February 24, 2018 - 13:30
Location: 38.836164, -120.075159 See map: CalTopo	Is this an Avalanche Observation?: Yes Conditions Alerts: Avalanche Activity Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing) Recent Loading Recent Loading›Blowing Snow

Observation made by: Public

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Observation

Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions:

16" crown about 30' wide ran three hundred feet down steep chute. Slope was cut above chute and new storm slab ran over cliffs and through terrain trap (rocky chute) and exited chute onto slope below. Rocky steep area about 38-40 degree slope. No other avalanche activity seen, high winds throughout the day.

Recent wind loading throughout day, short shooting cracks on recent storm slab when setting skin track and sloughing snow consistently on descent.

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Type:

Wind Slab

Failure Plane/Weak Layer:

New/old snow interface

Trigger

Trigger:

snowboarder

Trigger Modifier:

Intentionally Triggered

Terrain

Start Zone Slope Angle:

38degrees

Aspect:

Northeast

Starting Elevation:

near-treeline

Size

Destructive Size:

D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.

Relative Size:

R3 Medium

Crown Height:

2 ft

Avalanche Width (Average width):

30ft.

Avalanche Length (Vertical Run):

300ft.

Weather Details

Elevation of Observation:

7000 - 8000 ft.

Blowing Snow:

Moderate

Wind Direction:

South

Wind Speed:

Strong

Sky Cover:

Overcast - Cloudy - 8/8 covered

Highest Precipitation Rate:

Light Snowfall (S1 (S-1 = 1 cm /~.5 in per hour)

Precipitation:

Snow

Air temperature:

Below Freezing

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