What does the scale above mean to you as a skier or rider in the Gulmarg backcountry? Read more here.
Snowpack Discussion
Snowpack observations yesterday confirmed bonding of the new storm snow to the old snow surface up to 3900 meters on all aspects. We will be touring up to 4200 meters today to have a look at how the new snow is bonded to the old snow at higher elevations. On solar aspects, daily warming between the hours of 12-2 increases the chance of an avalanche releasing at the new snow / old snow interface, so choose to avoid this aspect during the warmest hours of the day. It’s really quite easy to avoid as the worst skiing is currently South and East facing (solar aspects).
It should be mentioned in the advisory that there is a persistent weak layer greater than 100cms beneath the snow surface, that prior to our most recent storm was still producing clean shears on Northerly aspects, and therefore exhibiting a persistent slab problem (large slab of snow over a weak layer). The likelihood of this avalanching is minimal, but it is still a possibility. It would be quite difficult for a skier to trigger this layer but the most likely place for this to happen would be near rocks and shallow areas in the snowpack.
Choose to ride in groups in the forests of Gulmarg. http://www.deepsnowsafety.org/index.php/. We now have enough snow in the conifer forests above 3200 meters for skiers and riders to get trapped in tree wells. Read more about this phenomenon in the link above. It causes several fatalities each year in other ski regions of the globe.
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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Gulmarg Ski Area (green zone) Timings for 5/2/2016:
Phase 1 – 0830 – 1630 (last cabin at 1600)
Phase 2 – 0900 – 1600 (last cabin at 1530)
Chair Lift – 0900 – 1600 (last chair at 1530)
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, 10 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.