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Avalanche: Dam Sluff Cuts

Observer Name
Steven Clark
Observation Date
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Avalanche Date
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Region
Skyline » Huntington Canyon » Dam Sluff Cuts
Location Name or Route
Sluff Cuts at the Electric Lake dam
Elevation
8,700'
Aspect
Northeast
Trigger
Explosive
Trigger: additional info
Repeater
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Weak Layer
Facets
Depth
4'
Width
500'
Vertical
100'
Comments
Explosive testing released two wide avalanches on steep road cuts at the Electric Lake dam. These are just west of a natural avalanche that blocked the road early Wednesday, Jan 10, 2023. Portions of these slides have already released at least once earlier this winter. This terrain is quite susceptible to wind loading. The combination of two feet of new snow along with significant wind was what created the unstable structure.
Coordinates