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Professional Observation

Basic Information

Observation Details

Observation Date:
January 12, 2024 - January 12, 2024
Submitted:
January 13, 2024
Observer:
TAC - Charles Harrison
Zone or Region:
Taos Area
Location:
Sin Nombre Area

Signs of Unstable Snow

Recent Avalanches? 
Yes
Cracking? 
Widespread
Collapsing? 
Isolated
Today we saw the aftermath of many natural avalanches on all relevant aspects (W-N-SE), most of which occurred in the last 24 hours. While breaking trail, we observed cracking in the new snow since last Sunday and had numerous collapses near and below tree line. Our pit observations also pointed to clear instabilities in the snowpack layers near and at the ground.

Snow Stability

Stability Rating: 
Poor
Confidence in Rating: 
High
Stability Trend: 
Steady

Bottom Line

Conditions are clearly spooky out there as a result of the weak early season snowpack overlaid by cohesive slabs from the last few snowstorms. Additionally, winds were blowing out of the West and swirling around our zone, adding loads to almost every aspect and most prominently to East facing terrain. The current conditions are deep but highly concerning for triggering avalanches.

Media

Natural Avalanche on an East aspect above treeline
Natural Avalanche on an E/NE slope
Natural Avalanche near treeline

Advanced Information

Weather Summary

Cloud Cover:
Mostly Cloudy
Temperature:
(-5) - 5
Wind:
Moderate , W

Winds were blowing moderately out of the West today and gusting in the 30s, transporting lots of snow in our area. Temperatures were in the single digits and skies shifted from broken to cloudy throughout the day.

Snowpack Observations

We dug a pit on a N/NE aspect just shy of 12,000 ft and got an ECTP12 result on layer of near surface facets from late December/early January. The shear quality was very clean/planar, and the slab on top was about 75cm thick at that elevation. We didn't test for results on any of the layers closer to the ground, but they mostly consist of sugary facets and are also concerning.

Snow profile at 11'9k with NSF layer identified

Terrain Use

We chose not to ski or skin any slopes greater than 30 degrees due to our stability concerns. Unfortunately, the snow is really deep and thus it's hard to move around. We ended up doing some low-speed wiggles through the trees to keep the vibes high!

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