Good stability on Wahoo Ridge

Location Name: BNSF Avalanche Program-Wahoo Ridge-Flathead Range Observation date: Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 22:00	Is this an Avalanche Observation: No

Observation made by: Public

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Quick Observation

Travelled to the NW end of our Program Area and checked out avalanche Path 1183 which is the NE-facing unnamed drainage between Wahoo and Cascadilla Creeks. Ascended the ridge separating Path 1183 and Cascadilla Ck, traversed the top of the path with a quick stop for snow pit/profile, then descended into Wahoo Ck for the exit.
Objective was to observe the snow structure and check out the wind-loading from all the recent NE winds.
Mostly sunny skies with no precipitation and calm conditions and no wind-loading today.
Air temperatures warmed into the low to mid-20s °F by the end of the day.
No collapses, cracking, or any other signs of instability observed.
Previous wind transport was notably less severe at the low-mid elevations here than in JFS Canyon.
Most notable was how much the upper snowpack has faceted due to the recent cold temperatures. Skinning was often tedious providing a great workout today.
We conducted a snow profile at 5600 feet elevation in Path 1183 on an easterly aspect.
Total snowpack depth at profile location was 93 inches. We dug to just below the Groundhog Day crust, about 43 inches from the snowpack surface.
The facets around the Groundhog crust were un-reactive in our stability tests.
Stability tests resulted in:
ECTN11 and CT10 Q3, 12” from the snowpack surface
CT23 Q2, 20” from the snowpack surface on a thin layer of facets.
Visibility was excellent and we observed no recent avalanche activity in our vicinity.

Snowpack, Avalanche, Weather Images:

Travel Details

Region:

Flathead Range - Middle Fork Corridor

Activity:

Skiing

Avalanche Details

Avalanche Details:

Date and Time of Avalanche:

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 22:00