Quick report
- Cracking
- widespread
- Collapsing
- widespread
I observed numerous whoompfs, a few of which also produced shooting cracks, and one which was loud enough that it even scared my dog. I did notice these collapses only occurred in open spaces and not anywhere with decent tree cover. Wind was also blowing hard from the W and SW, and there was clearly snow getting transported and there was a lot of evidence of wind loading. The biggest collapse and propagation I experienced was on a steep slope above a road, and was clearly wind loaded, so I think the stiffness of the wind slab helped it propagate. Felt and heard numerous whoompfs, mostly on North and Northwest aspects above 4000'. Some of these collapses were on steep enough slopes to create shooting cracks, one of which propagated at least 20 feet.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 32
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- intense
- Recent Snowfall
- 0
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Overcast all done with barely any snow coming down. Light to Strong winds predominantly from the W and SW, with obvious wind loading going on. Temps seemed below freezing above about 3500', and just above that below there.
Snowpack
Surface snow was soft and dry above 3500'. In the morning, snow below 3500' had a thin crust right beneath a light dusting of snow. In the PM, this crust was gone and the snow was warm and moist. Above 3500', depth of the newer snow varied form just a few inches to 10+", especially wind drifted. Below this newer snow, the 2/13 interface presented as a thin crust over a facet/crust mix. There was at least 2cms within this layer that contained rounding facets, and I think is the culprit behind the collapses. At my pit at 4260', below the 2/13 interface everything was pretty locked up in a Melt Freeze crust.