Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Primary concern today was the wind drifted snow</p>
10,420 southerly aspects dirt
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p> Winds actively transported snow throughout the day as precipitation began to fall. Beneath this weekend’s new snow and wind-drifted slabs sits a supportable melt-freeze crust.</p> <p>Shallow, widespread cracking was easy to initiate, and I was able to kick off thin wind skins ranging from 1–4". In areas with more drifting, I broke off a chunk closer to 6". While these were overall shallow, they were sensitive, and with continued loading and increasing snowfall, this hazard will grow.</p> <p>In loaded, consequential terrain features, even a small slide could knock someone off their feet. Otherwise, I couldn’t get any lingering dry snow to move, and the elevated winds seemed to keep the surface cool.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Shallow surface cracking 1-2" deep on the melt freeze crust</em></p> <p> </p> <p><em>Deeper chunk able to break off in a wind laoded zone - Hidden Canyon - 6-7" deep</em></p> <p> </p> <p><em>Shallow wind skin - NW aspect - Hidden Canyon. </em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
A mix of snow surfaces in the backcountry—while I’m sure pockets of lingering cold snow exist, most of what I saw was either wind-affected or just a trace sitting atop a firm melt-freeze crust. Wind texture was obvious across both upper and mid-elevations, noticeable in appearance and the hollow feel underfoot.
Throughout the day, graupel continued falling, beginning to pool in spots like old ski tracks and tree wells.
Many south facing aspects along ridgelines are dirt.
Wind textured surface
Graupel collecting
Graupel beginning to pool in old wind scoures