Details

• Date: 2020/03/03

• Observer: Ryan Lewthwaite
• Organization: Forecaster, CAIC

Location

• BC Zone: Front Range
• Area Description: Zero Creek headwall south of Winter Park Resort.

Weather

• Ridgeline Wind Speed: 20-30 mph
• Ridgeline Wind Direction: NW
• Wind Loading: Moderate
• Temperature: 21 F
• Sky Cover: Scattered
• Depth of New Snow: 1 cm
• Depth of Total Snow: 168 cm
• Weather Description: Northwest winds were creating banners of snow from ridgelines. Moderate winds were accompanied by scattered clouds. Temperature was 21F degrees near treeline.

Snowpack

• Snowpack Description: The surface snow was melting and being effected by the wind in exposed areas near treeline. On a southeast aspect the northwest winds were depositing snow at a moderate rate. I dug a snow profile near treeline on a southeast aspect adjacent to a large avalanche. Here I found 20cm of soft snow on a firm melt freeze crust. Stability tests revealed failure with moderate force at this interface. An extended column test gave a propagation result with hard force through the depth hoar over 1 meter deep (ECTP27@50cm). I even got a compression test to fail at this layer with hard force (CT21@45cmSC).

Avalanches

• Avalanche Description: Small cornice fall avalanche next to older large avalanche in Zero Creek headwall.

	Date	Location/Path	#	Elev	Asp	Type	Trig	SizeR	SizeD
	2020/03/03  †		1	>TL	E	C	N	R1	D1
Date: 2020/03/03 (Estimated) Observer: Ryan Lewthwaite Organization: Forecaster, CAIC Area Description: Zero Creek headwall Average Slope Angle: 41 ° Maximum Slope Angle: 42 ° Elevation: 11400 ft Sliding Surface: S - Within Storm Snow Weak Layer: Layer Weak Layer Grain Type: Decomposing or Fragmented Average Crown: 4 in Maximum Crown: 6 in Average Width: 8 ft Maximum Width: 10 ft Average Vertical: 40 ft Maximum Vertical: 50 ft

Media

Images