Quick report
- Aspect
- Southeast
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3200 m
- Slope Angle
- 30°
Most of the focus has been on the weak, faceted snow pack on the shady slopes. These are the slopes that will be most dangerous once it snows.
But I figured it was worth a quick look at the other "white" slopes - those sunny slopes still holding snow. This southeast facing, upper elevation slope has a very shallow snow pack - maybe averaging 8 to 12" deep - but deep enough to connect across small ground features. It's capped with a hard, smooth ice layer. I expect once it snows, the new snow will bond poorly to these icy crusts, and the snow will sluff and slide readily. Avalanches will run fast on these crusted slopes, and entrain snow as they move down slope.
Snowpack
Still some soft, faceted snow on northerlies, but many slopes are heavily tracked and age-hardened.