Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Was a bit surprised to see a natural avalanche at low elevation today: a D1 slab that released overnight at the new/old interface, N 6500ft (see separate avy obs). There was also natural cracking in terrain that wasn't steep enough to avalanche, and we readily kicked off similar cracking and avalanches on test slopes in low elevation terrain. These occurred at the new/old interface on the old sub-surface crust overlain by the now sopping wet facets. Given how damp everything was, it seemed fair to call this wet slab activity. Additionally, we experienced at least a half dozen small to moderate sized (approx. 100ft radius) collapses in the mid elevations, on NW-N-E terrain. These failed beneath the storm snow atop the dry facets and crust below. Didn't directly experience wind slabs, but saw plenty of snow transport on the ridgelines.</p>
Blocks of dense wet snow and a crack just above the skier on a test slope.
A naturally occurring crack on a rollover a bit below the skin track, running about 25ft long. We triggered similar (but shorter) cracks on test slopes.
Wind transported snow streaming off the summit ridgeline of Ben Lomond. Note the white cloud in the foreground: the wind driven snow transported off the summit directly created this cloud.
Snowpack
Picked up another 4-5 inches overnight for a storm total of about 15 inches or so at the low to mid elevations. Snow was very dense, reminiscent of maritime snowpack. Warm temps overnight eliminated any chance of preserved soft snow in the low/mid elevations, leading to wet, grippy, heavy, and cohesive surface snow (and associated strenuous skiing).