What does the scale above mean to you as a skier or rider in the Gulmarg backcountry? Read more here.
Snowpack Discussion
Snowfall ended last night at 7 pm. We received more than 10 cms yesterday at the mid mountain snow study plot. A strong wind event persisted through the early morning hours of Saturday depositing a wind slab as thick as 42cms on northern aspects. Skiers and riders have reported triggering avalanches at and below treeline for the past two days on this new layer, and all of these avalanches were on the old snow, were on leeward aspects, and were large enough to injure a skier or rider. Both avalanches were triggered at a weak point in the snow pack. One was triggered near a rock, and the other was triggered next to a tree.
In addition to the current wind slab problem, you also
need to keep a close eye on your partners and stay within eyesight in case they do fall into a tree well. Please read more about this here: http://www.deepsnowsafety.org/index.php/. We now have enough snow in the conifer forests at 3200 meters for this to be a concern.
Avalanche Problem #1-Wind Slab
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Problem Description
Release of a cohesive layer of snow (slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Wind Slabs form in specific areas, and are confined to lee and cross-loaded terrain features. They can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind-scoured areas.
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Avalanche Problem #2 – Persistent Slab
Problem Description –
Release of a cohesive layer of soft to hard snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
The best ways to manage the risk from Persistent Slabs is to make conservative terrain choices. They can be triggered by light loads and weeks after the last storm. The slabs often propagate in surprising and unpredictable ways. This makes this problem difficult to predict and manage and requires a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty.
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Weather Discussion (for 3250 meters): Clear skies this morning, with radar models currently showing light snow showers from mid day to late afternoon. A clear week ahead with the next snowfall forecasted for next weekend.
Gulmarg Ski Area (green zone) Timings for 30/1/2016:
Phase 1 – 0900 -1630 (last cabin at 1600)
Phase 2 – CLOSED
Chair Lift – Will open after control work if visibility allows.
Beacon Training Center on Merry Shoulder is OPEN with 2 BEACONS. Come by Gulmarg ski patrol base at mid mountain to learn the location of the beacon training center and hone your search skills and times.
Next avalanche talk is Wednesday, 3 February, 2016 at 7:30pm at Hotel Hilltop. Hotel Hilltop is located across from the ice skating rink in Gulmarg meadow. Talks will continue every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm through 30 March, 2016.