Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Widespread wet loose activity observed that appeared to be happening earlier in the day as well as over the past 24 hours.Poor snowpack structure identified at the interface of the buried rain crust that is down 60 cm; and this 3 cm thick barrier appears to be capable of pooling available draining water from the transitioning snowpack. This layer may in time become the location of potential wet slab activity, and should be monitored. </p> <p>Slope cuts on 30 degree test slopes were able to easily trigger wet loose activity. And, positive tilt tests confirmed/validated these same findings. </p> <p>Wind loading just off the highest ridge lines most likely was occurring especially in the late afternoon hours during the last period of snowfall. </p>
Cornices and Glide Cracks continue to be a very likely possibility with the warm temperatures.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>See above for wet loose activity; and any direct solar on Monday will likely help initiate more wet loose activity in the shallow new snow that fell on Sunday. This problem is isolated and specific to upper elevation terrain where the latest event occurred, as snowfall appeared to most significant above 9300. </p> <p>See above for this isolated/specifically located problem, and with the forecast for the winds to shift and come out of the NE this issue may be minimized. Cross loading on terrain features may still present a possibility on the upper elevation exposed ridgeline areas. </p>
Areas above 10500 appeared to receive 5 to 7 cm of new high density new snow by 0700, and then another 2 to 7 cm during the day as previously cited. Cooler temperatures allowed for much improved riding with the stickiness observed the last few days only experienced from 8500 and down.