Professional Observation
Basic Information
Observation Details
Observation Date:
December 27, 2021Submitted:
December 27, 2021Observer:
TAC - Andy BondZone or Region:
Taos AreaLocation:
Sin NombreSigns of Unstable Snow
Recent Avalanches?
YesCracking?
None ExperiencedCollapsing?
None ExperiencedSnow Stability
Stability Rating:
PoorConfidence in Rating:
HighStability Trend:
WorseningBottom Line
Basal facets and depth hoar continue to be the main concern on northerly and east aspects where the old faceted snow from November and December are now capped with 2 to 4-foot slabs from the Christmas Eve storm.
Media
Advanced Information
Weather Summary
Cloud Cover:
Mostly CloudyTemperature:
10 - 18Wind:
Moderate , SWMostly cloudy with occasional clearing. Winds were in the 20's out of the SW and easily transporting snow.
Avalanche Observations
| # | Date | Location | Size | Type | Bed Sfc | Depth | Trigger | Comments | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Past 48 hours |
Sin Nombre N |
D2 | SS | G-Ground | 3 - 4' | N-Natural |
|
This slope on No Name propagated several hundred feet wide. This slope gets cross-loaded and appears to be more recent than the avalanches observed on Christmas Day.
Snowpack Observations
Strong winds on Sunday have stiffened the surface, with wind-sheltered slopes still providing soft chalky turns. We dug a pit on an adjacent slope to the natural avalanche on Sin Nombre. The pit shows a 3 foot 1 Finger hard slab from the Christmas Eve storm above 30cm of 2mm depth hoar to the ground. Stability tests all failed on isolation.
Avalanche Problems
| Problem | Location | Distribution | Sensitivity | Size | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Persistent Slab
|
|
Basal facets and depth hoar on or near the ground is the main concern on northerly and east-facing slopes.
Terrain Use
Kept it mellow, just wanted to get better observations with visibility improving before the next series of storms.
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