Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Widespread natural graupel runnels in the steep terrain with thick piles building. Reports from Cardiac continue to remind us of the buried weak layers that have been mostly dormant, but still lingering. Structure in the Argenta Chutes appeared to have good stability at this point in time, yet it is still easy to find the non-reactive weak layers from mid December and the beginning of January. Tests yielded CTH RP 50 cm down at the interface of the first big storm from last week. Snow Pit was at 8300, N on a 31 degree slope, and it had an HS of 170 cm. The biggest weakness in this zone continues to be the sensitive layer of light density snow that is now 15 cm down. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Despite no wind slab issues noted in the zone traveled today, the winds appear to be ramping up once again this evening. Sensitive wind slabs may continue to be an issue on Friday and excessive loading may trigger more large slides. </p> <p>Investigative report from Cardiac Ridge appears to acknowledge the reality that there are still lingering areas with old weak snow that remain suspect. Thin rocky areas and repeater zones appear to be the most likely place for these to come alive with any substantial new load. </p> <p> </p> <p>Danger appeared to be Moderate in the areas traveled today with potential for Considerable in sustained wind loaded areas. And this appears to be the case as well for Friday. </p>
Storm totals from the past 24 hours appeared to not be more than 10 cm of graupel in BCC. Excellent turning in the grauple above 7700 feet with the old storm snow as an excellent bottomless base. Below 7700 an ambient temperature dense slab developed on Tuesday when we had the greenhousing, and as a result riding was a bit upside down below the grauple. That being said, it still rode very well. Solar aspects once again got damp/wet before the cloud cover came in, and on the southerlies the dampness occurred despite lack of sun. Trail breaking was not difficult for the first day in the last three.