Avalanche Observation on Mount Houghton

Location Name: 
Mt. Houghton
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of avalanche (best estimate if unknown): 
Mon, 12/19/2016 - 10:30
Location Map: 
United States
39° 19' 53.7168" N, 119° 55' 56.1036" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Terrain Trap
Observation made by: Public
Avalanche Observations
Trigger type: 
Natural
Aspect: 
Southeast
Terrain: 
Near Treeline
Elevation: 
9 700ft.
More detailed information about the avalanche: 

Our party was touring in the north bowl of Tamarack Peak and sometime around 11:30am noticed the slide track and debris of a recent avalanche in a gully on the Southeast aspect of Mt. Houghton. We did not witness the avalanche occur. However, after comparing photographs of the same area taken at approximately 8:30am we realized that this slide likely occured sometime between 8:30am and 11:30am today. We did not get close enough to analyze the slide but it did not appear to slide on the buried facet layer near the ground. There were multiple ski tracks likely from over the weekend that were wiped out in the slide. We dug a snowpit on a south-facing aspect of Tamarack Peak after observing this slide. I will upload a pit profile in a separate observation. 

Avalanche Photos: 
Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
No
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
None
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
More detailed information about the weather: 

The temperature was warming rapidly this morning and the avalanche was located in on an aspect that was in full sun by approximately 8:30am.