Last week brought a lot of snow to the avalanche, but just because things are getting filled in doesn’t mean that it’s a greenlight for skiing everything. Most of the time, avalanche accidents occur after peak instability. So it’s definitely still heads up conditions out there. And there were avalanches all across the range this weekend, including a big one on Main Gobblers and a big one on Cardiac Ridge (read the observations here ). Read the UAC update from yesterday to get up to speed on current conditions.
Caption: “February 10, 2024 Update:
These conditions are perfect for an avalanche accident. The storm has departed, but the danger has not. With clearing skies, backcountry riders will continue to find dangerous avalanche conditions. Most avalanche accidents and fatalities occur after peak instability. Avalanche terrain can be easily avoided today, as there are excellent riding conditions on lower-angled slopes in all directions.
Today, the avalanche danger remains CONSIDERABLE at the upper and mid-elevation slopes facing west through north and southeast. Deadly slab avalanches may fail in a persistent weak layer and be up to 6’ deep. On all other slopes, the avalanche danger is MODERATE, with the main concern being soft slabs of storm snow or wind-drifted snow 2-3’ deep. In areas without a cohesive slab, you may trigger long-running loose snow sluffs in steep terrain.