Descr: Glide avalanches involve the full release of the snow pack over a rock slab and are often difficult to forecast. This type of avalanche release is dependent upon local factors such as elevation, aspect, snow cover, and weather conditions. Glide rate and movement of the snow slab is another determining factor for the eventual release of the slab. A smooth rock slab, known as Rock Face, is exposed about 2.9 km north-northwest of Snoqualmie Pass, Washington adjacent to the Alpental Ski Area. During the winter of 2004-2005, we will install a continuous recording station at Alpental, Washington that captures the precise timing of natural and controlled snow avalanches, These data will characterize avalanche processes that control the formation and release of the glide avalanches. Instrumentation monitors air temperature, snow temperature, solar intensity, a cable-extension transducer for measuring glide rate and geophones that will record the precise time of an avalanche.
