General Observations

Lutak Zone: 2500’/E-Aspect/Clear/Light N-Wind/45F. Strong solar radiation and above freezing temperatures kicked off spring with the first big wet avalanche cycle of the season. All aspects and elevations appeared to have released wet debris and loud natural avalanches occurred throughout the day with near record high temperatures. Without a strong overnight freeze below 32F, surface thaw and melt-water will continue to percolate down and weaken old layers that can cause wet slab avalanches. Surface snow conditions were wet and heavy and avoided any terrain greater than 30+ degrees.

• Late in the day around 4pm an isolated pocket of wet slab released on the NE-Aspect of Mount Ripinsky in the back bowl along with numerous wet slide activity throughout the day.
• Water was dripping from the rime trees and melt-water had percolated deep down in snowpack layers, saturating melt-freeze layers with moist-to-wet snow characteristics.
• Dug the deepest pit of the season ~10′ for a snow water equivalent (SWE) survey near the weather station, which was completely buried and not visible.
• Measured 420cm of total snowpack with 90″+ of total SWE for the 2020/2021 season