Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
February 6, 2021Submitted:
February 6, 2021Observer:
TAC - Andy BondZone or Region:
Taos AreaLocation:
Wheeler Peak ChutesSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
FairConfidence in Rating:
LowStability Trend:
SteadyBottom Line
There is a lot of uncertainty right now and even though we are at a Moderate avalanche danger I would not trust any slope over 35 degrees right now regardless of aspect. To see Large unsurvivable, unmanageable natural avalanches with the lack of any significant load is making me take a step back and reconsider everything. This is a bad snowpack and the consequences would be catastrophic if you were on one of these slopes. TIME TO KEEP IT MELLOW AND STICK TO LOW ANGLE TERRAIN!
Media
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
ClearTemperature:
10 - 25Wind:
Moderate , WSunny, beautiful day with temperatures in the teens and 20's but felt warm in the sun. West winds were in the teens and 20's gusting in the 30's but we did not observe much snow being tranpsported.
Avalanche Observations
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Comments | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Past 48 hours |
Wheeler Peak Chutes W 11,800 |
D2.5 | HS | O-Old Snow | 2 - 5' | N-Natural | Large debris that would've been unsurvivable and ran nearly 1000' down to just above Williams Lake. This avalanche was snapping small trees and when seemed to wrap around terrain features that created a 500' wide avalanche. |
|
Snowpack Observations
It's a scary snowpack and the fact that we continue to find large natural avalanches that happened in the past 48 hours without any significant loading is concerning. Today we were surprised to see large natural crowns on the west-facing cross-loaded slopes below Wheeler Peak. This was a large unsurvivable avalanche that put significant debris running almost near Williams Lake.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None Specified |
|
These are the most likely places to get avalanches but honestly any slope over 35 degrees should be considered suspect right now |
Terrain Use
Can't trust this snowpack and booted up a bed surface to check out the crown. Wouldn't want to get on anything over 35 degrees right now!
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