Details

• Date: 2020/02/21

• Observer: Becs Hodgetts
• Organization: Forecaster, CAIC

Location

• BC Zone: Sawatch Range
• Area Description: Graham Gulch

Weather

• Ridgeline Wind Speed: Calm
• Ridgeline Wind Direction: U
• Wind Loading: Previous
• Temperature: 37 F
• Sky Cover: Scattered
• Depth of Total Snow: 180 in
• Weather Description: Started out cool and warmed rapidly. Never a hint of wind which is extremely unusual for this area. A few clouds built during the day.

Snowpack

• Snowpack Description: Below treeline north aspects HS ranges form 150cm to 2m. Snow surafce stayed cold throughout tour. Any south or east slope snow surfaces were moist/wet from 10am. Snow pit tests showed no results with the exception of basal depth hoar (55cm thick) which we saw PST55/160end@55cm 2/21/2020. Snow was supportable to boot pen (10cm) which is also unusual for this area. Near treeline snow depth varied from none along ridge to 130 on north slopes. Snowpack here had a 10-20cm thick wind drifted slab over predominately facets below. We did not dig a formal pit.

Avalanches

• Avalanche Description: Two wet loose avalanches on southeast and north aspect s above treeline. One recent Persistent Slab avalanche on an easterly aspect above treeline.

	Date	Location/Path	#	Elev	Asp	Type	Trig	SizeR	SizeD
	2020/02/21  †	Independence Pass-East side	1	>TL	N	WL	AC	R2	D1.5
Date: 2020/02/21 (Estimated) Observer: Becs Hodgetts Organization: Forecaster, CAIC Area Description: Star D Landmark: Independence Pass-East side Elevation: 12500 ft Sliding Surface: I - New/Old Interface Maximum Width: 100 ft Maximum Vertical: 2000 ft
	2020/02/21  †	Independence Pass-East side	1	>TL	SE	WL	N / c	R1	D1
Date: 2020/02/21 (Estimated) Observer: Becs Hodgetts Organization: Forecaster, CAIC Area Description: Small sluff, guessing from cornice fall Landmark: Independence Pass-East side Elevation: 12450 ft Sliding Surface: I - New/Old Interface Maximum Width: 50 ft Maximum Vertical: 200 ft
	2020/02/21  †		1	>TL	E	HS	N / U	R2	D2
Date: 2020/02/21 (Estimated) Observer: Becs Hodgetts Organization: Forecaster, CAIC Area Description: This PSA looked fresh (within last 48hrs?) unable to see debris, by size of crown guessing a D@, maybe smaller. Elevation: 12500 ft Maximum Crown: 24 in Maximum Width: 300 ft

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