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Natural Wind Slab Avalanches on Andesite

Location Name: Andesite Peak Region: Donner Summit Area Observation Date & Time: Sunday, February 10, 2019 - 02:00
Location: 39.350726, -120.365481 See map: CalTopo	Is this an Avalanche Observation?: Yes Conditions Alerts: Avalanche Activity Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)›Shooting Cracks Recent Loading Recent Loading›Blowing Snow Recent Loading›More Than a Foot of New Snow Recent Loading›Snowfall Rates of More Than 1 in/hr Terrain Alerts: Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees Obvious Slide Path Trigger Points Terrain Traps Terrain Matches the Advisory

Location Name:

Andesite Peak

Region:

Donner Summit Area

Observation Date & Time:

Sunday, February 10, 2019 - 02:00

Location:

39.350726, -120.365481

See map: CalTopo

Is this an Avalanche Observation?:

Yes

Conditions Alerts:

Avalanche Activity
Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)›Shooting Cracks
Recent Loading
Recent Loading›Blowing Snow
Recent Loading›More Than a Foot of New Snow
Recent Loading›Snowfall Rates of More Than 1 in/hr

Terrain Alerts:

Slopes Steeper than 30 degrees

Obvious Slide Path

Trigger Points

Terrain Traps

Terrain Matches the Advisory

Observation made by: Forecaster

Tabs

Observation

Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions:

While making observations on 2/10/19, we saw several old wind slab avalanche crowns with avalanche debris at the bottom of the slopes. These signs of avalanche activity had +/- 1 foot of new snow on them indicating that they must have occurred during the night while the storm was raging. In many cases, these avalanche paths had almost refilled with new snow and wind loading.

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Type:

Wind Slab

Failure Plane/Weak Layer:

Storm Snow

Additional number of similar avalanches:

Trigger

Trigger:

Natural

Terrain

Start Zone Slope Angle:

39degrees

Aspect:

Northeast

Starting Elevation:

near-treeline

Size

Destructive Size:

D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.

Relative Size:

R3 Medium

Avalanche Width (Average width):

200ft.

Avalanche Length (Vertical Run):

200ft.

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Natural Wind Slab Avalanches on Andesite

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Natural Wind Slab Avalanches on Andesite

Conditions Alerts:

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