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Avalanche on Jakes Peak

Location Name: Jakes Peak Region: West Shore Area Observation Date & Time: Monday, March 16, 2020 - 12:15
Location: 38.968672, -120.114784 See map: CalTopo	Is this an Avalanche Observation?: Yes Conditions Alerts: Avalanche Activity Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing) 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 Trigger Points

Location Name:

Jakes Peak

Region:

West Shore Area

Observation Date & Time:

Monday, March 16, 2020 - 12:15

Location:

38.968672, -120.114784

See map: CalTopo

Is this an Avalanche Observation?:

Yes

Conditions Alerts:

Avalanche Activity
Other Signs of Instability (cracking, whumpfing, collapsing)
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

Trigger Points

Observation made by: Public

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Observation

Description of Snow, Weather, and Avalanche Conditions:

A skier triggered avalanche occurred today at the top of Jakes Peak, burying the top four switchbacks of the skin track in 2-3 feet of snow. An ascending party saw a skiers trigger the slide then ski around the corner and out of view. Not knowing if any other skiers were potentially in the skin track at the time of the incident, the observing party initiated a beacon search and thankfully found no signal. Heads up people. It’s very real out there.

Terrain Details

Terrain: elevations:

Above Treeline

Terrain: aspects:

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Type:

Storm Slab

Failure Plane/Weak Layer:

Storm Snow

Additional number of similar avalanches:

Trigger

Trigger:

Skier

Trigger Modifier:

Accidentally Triggered

Terrain

Start Zone Slope Angle:

35degrees

Aspect:

Northeast

Starting Elevation:

near-treeline

Size

Destructive Size:

D2 Could bury, injure, or kill a person.

Crown Height:

1 ft

Avalanche Width (Average width):

150ft.

Avalanche Length (Vertical Run):

200ft.

Weather Details

Elevation of Observation:

8000 - 9000 ft.

Blowing Snow:

Moderate

Wind Direction:

Southwest

Wind Speed:

Moderate

Sky Cover:

Overcast - Cloudy - 8/8 covered

Precipitation:

Snow

Air temperature:

Below Freezing

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Avalanche on Jakes Peak

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Avalanche on Jakes Peak

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