What does the scale above mean to you as a skier or rider in the Gulmarg backcountry? Read more here.

Snowpack Discussion

Yesterday a  D3.5-sized avalanche released naturally in South Apharwat bowl.  The avalanche likely started from a cornice collapse at the top of the bowl during a strong wind event early yesterday morning.  This cornice collapse triggered most of South Apharwat bowl on a ~95 cm deep fresh wind slab.  The weight of this slabs release triggered  the deep persistent weak layer we’ve spoken about for most of the season here, causing a massive avalanche.

Today, this instability remains in all of the north facing bowls of Mount Apharwat, from Drang to Leyanmarg.  If you trigger a wind slab in the top of one of these backcountry bowls today, it is possible that slab will step down to the persistent weak layer we saw naturally avalanching yesterday. It is reactive now, and it will be an avalanche you will likely not survive. The last time I typed these words was 11 February, 2015. On that day, a skier was caught and killed in a massive avalanche. We have all the ingredients today for a deep slab avalanche. A large new load of snow, a reactive sizeable surface wind slab layer, and warming during the mid day. All that is needed is a trigger. Likely places for triggering an avalanche today are near rocks and shallow areas of 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.

https://avanet.avatech.com/

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Avalanche Problem #1 – Deep Slab

Problem Description – Release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer, deep in the snowpack or near the ground. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage. They commonly develop when Persistent Slabs become more deeply buried over time.

Deep Persistent Slabs are destructive and deadly events that can take months to stabilize. You can trigger them from well down in the avalanche path, and after dozens of tracks have crossed the slope.

 

Avalanche Problem #2 – Wind Slab

Problem Description – Release of a cohesive layer of snow (a 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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Weather Forecast (link:http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Gulmarg/6day/mid)