Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 14, 2020Submitted:
December 14, 2020Observer:
TAC - Andy BondZone or Region:
Taos AreaLocation:
Long CanyonSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
WidespreadCollapsing?
WidespreadSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
PoorConfidence in Rating:
HighStability Trend:
SteadyBottom Line
Conditions are still quite touchy out there, with slopes steeper than 35 degrees able to release an avalanche. Terrain selection is crucial out there right now as we are still seeing the ability to remote trigger avalanches. The main concern is persistent slab avalanches failing on weak faceted snow deeper down in the snowpack or on the ground.
Media
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
OvercastTemperature:
15 - 20Wind:
Moderate , WClouds rolled in pretty quickly this morning, with snow flurries mid-morning. No snow accumulation with these flurries. Winds were calm to light below ridgelines and moderate to strong at ridgetops out of the Southwest. Snow was transporting at ridgetops.
Avalanche Observations
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Comments | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Today |
Long Canyon NE 11,600' |
D1.5 | SS | G-Ground | 2 - 3 feet |
AS-Skier r-Remote |
Triggered from roughly 750' below on 30-degree terrain. |
|
Snowpack Observations
Went up Long Canyon today to see what happened back there with the widespread natural avalanche cycle from early Saturday morning. There was evidence of lots of debris on the North and East aspects near and above treeline. We continue to get widespread collapsing and shooting cracks. Long Canyon has an overall shallower snowpack than the Williams Lake side of life. We were finding well-developed depth hoar on the ground on most slopes.
Winds were moderate out of the SW on the ridgelines and was easily transporting snow into stiffening slabs on the leeward side.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Persistent Slab
|
|
Traveled on North and East aspects today. A lot of slopes had run naturally during the storm Friday night, but slopes that hadn't run were very touchy as we released a slope from 750' below |
Terrain Use
Kept to slopes less than 35 degrees
Close