Quick report
- Aspect
- Southwest
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3261 m
- Slope Angle
- 17°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Below our firm snowpack lies weak faceted snow. Cracking was only isolated today. There are areas above treeline in steep terrain where new wind blown snow has settled that could pose risk for small avalanches in addition to loose dry avalanches in steep northerlies. While the snowpack does feel very hard, below the several centimeter knife hard crust lies weak sugary snow unlike the typical melt freeze crust you would experience in spring like conditions. </p>
Evidence of weak layers on SW facing terrain below treeline where there is snow still deep enough to ski/ride.
Mix of hard and soft wind drifted snow above the alpine
SW-W facing terrain is thin
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>2" of new snow that has formed drifts 2-4" deep above treeline on the new snow/old snow interface. Winds increasing tonight and tomorrow could create larger drifts. </p> <p>I am not concerned about our PWL now but I will be come Friday morning. </p>
The snow conditions are very poor out there around the entire compass at all elevations. Below 10500 there is a stout melt freeze crust covered by a few inches of fresh snow on all aspects. There is still some loose faceted snow on Northerly aspects but quality turns are very few and far between. Above treeline there is a mix of hard snow and new, soft snow with drifts 2-4" deep in sheltered areas. Even in the North Woods at upper elevations the snow is punchy in areas from our past warming trend. Below the firm crust around the compass made by wind and sun the snowpack is weak, facted and lacks structure. Steep northerly aspects at and below treeline that have turned to a pile of sugar are what I will be watching with new snow inbound.