Location: Kebler Pass Area
Date of Observation: 12/25/2018
Name: Steve Banks
Subject: North Below Treeline
Aspect: North, South
Elevation: 10,200-11,200
Avalanches:
Red Lady Bowl and south face of Ruby showed similar fresh avalanches from the end of the storm or overnight. Both were mid slope, storm slabs and looked to be small D2’s confined to the upper snowpack.
Weather: Mostly sunny with passing clouds. Cold in the morning with temps on the teens and warming through the day. Southerly winds at ridgetop blowing 20 mph and moving snow.
Snowpack: New snow averaged 10” and beginning to settle and consolidate some. Below teeeline N was still soft and good skiing, but on South it was becoming wet on the surface.
1 quick pit North faceing at 10,600’ showed 30 cms of new Christmas snow. A well consolidated 1F to Pencil slab below with 15-20 cms of large faceted grain near the ground. This layer was 4F to 1F and capped with stronger snow. HS of 130 cms.
Shovel tilt test revealed a clear shear about an inch or so below the new snow. Likely one of our buried surface hoar layers though it was difficult to see the SH. ECT showed a moderate failure in the midpack with no propagation.
Near treeline South winds were creating thick windslabs in the top of the starting zones. Some localized cracking noted.
Photos: