Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
March 26, 2021Submitted:
March 26, 2021Observer:
TAC - AndyZone or Region:
Taos AreaLocation:
No Name to KachinaSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
WidespreadCollapsing?
None ExperiencedMedia
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
ObscuredTemperature:
12 - 28Wind:
Light , SW2 to 3 feet of storm snow since Monday evening with a couple more inches of snow today that was mainly graupel. Didn't make it to ridgetops or observe snow being transported. However winds were in the teens gusting in the 20's based the weather instrumentation.
Avalanche Observations
Several small natural avalanches within the new snow were Size 1 and propagating close to 50 feet. I was only able to get a couple of small test slopes to avalanche while others would crack but not fully release.
Snowpack Observations
It's been an impressive March for us with another multiday storm bringing over 2 feet of snow. It's deep out there, but the powder skiing is some of the best we've had all season.
Several small natural storm slab avalanches were observed, all size 1, but visibility was very limited and didn't get a good grasp of above treeline, as it was in the clouds all day. Most test slopes I got on were cracking but not releasing as an avalanche. Natural avalanche activity observed was in steep terrain like the cut bank behind the Snowbear Inn. I did not observe any avalanche activity occuring in deeper persistent weak layers.
6 to 8 inches of lower density snow sits on top of firmer snow from strong winds over the last couple of days. Some slopes have close to 3 feet of snow on them while others only have a foot due to the wind transported snow.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Storm Slab
|
|