Observation type
Avalanche

Observer
Annonymous

Keep me anonymous if published
yes

Location (general area)
Cerro Noroeste, North Side @ 7200 Feet

Latitude

Longitude

Date (yyyymmdd)
20230326

Time
1:00 PM

Road conditions to area
Clear

Temperature
35 F

Sky
Scattered clouds (3/8 to 4/8)

Wind speed
Light (1-16mph Flags/twigs in motion)

Wind direction
NE

Wind direction in degrees

Slope aspect
North

Aspect in degrees

Slope angle

Elevation
~7200

Snow depth
Varied

Boot/ Ski penetration
4-8 inches

Precipitation
None

Activity, recent avalanches
yes

Brief description
Natural Avalanche Debris observation. North side of Cerro Noroeste ~7500Ft

Whumphing noises, shooting cracks. collapsing
no

Rapid warming
no

Obvious avalanche path
yes

Terrain trap
yes

Comment
I was on my second descent of Cerro Noroeste of the day ~1:00 PM. Conditions were variable with north facing trees holding pockets of soft snow, with a crust forming in areas with significant sun exposure. Skiing the bowl, I observed an opening at about 7500 ft. Making turns in soft snow, as pitch increased, I realized I was funneling into chute with avalanche potential, but continued being relatively confident in snow stability today, considering recent rain events with only the most recent precip. falling as snow. About 1/3 of the way down I felt a transition to firmer/harder conditions. Noting some turns that felt like 8-12 inches directly on top on scree/rocks. About 2/3 of the way down, seeing a safe(ish) spot, I pulled off the avy path to rest/evaluate. Knowing the chute had slide prior to the recent storm, I was expecting to see debris/run-out, but was surprised by the depth (>20 feet deep) and magnitide (~300 feet long). It appears to have been a natural slide, possibly triggered by the rain event.

Publish this observation
Yes I would like this observation Published