Counting marmots…
These case studies examine two large natural avalanches attributed to graupel/crust combinations on Mount Shasta, California.The first case study details an avalanche in February 2026 which released on a layer of buried graupel above a melt-freeze crust after a major loading event.The graupel layer provided limited feedback before failing ten days after burial -one of the longest documented cases of persistent instability associated with this grain type.A second notable avalanche in April 2026 highlights a graupel/crust combination as a problematic weak layer with wide-propagation potential.These case studies provide further evidence that graupel can act as a persistent weak layer, result in widely-propagating avalanches, and challenge forecasting operations.
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