Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>2.65" of water weight since the 24th at Alta. There was a natural cycle which seamed to happen sometime midmorning yestarday. A number of soft slab avalanches from yestarday were observed on NE and E aspects. Warming today into the low 40's at many trailhead elevations. </p>
Pic 1. Heat crust in the morning down low from Tuesdays warm temps.
Pic 2. Storm Slab from Tuesdays cycle. SS-N-R1-D1
Pic 3. Loose Wet Point Release at 10k on East aspect.
Pic 4. Quick pit on NE @ 10k
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Alta received 8" of snow overnight from the 26th into the 27th and the noaa forecasted snow totals from last night though the next 48 hours have backed off . But <strong>IF</strong> the forecast confirms with the higher amounts over the next few days we could get up the 35" of new snow in Upper LCC with gusts easily into the 50's. We will likely see wind slabs on typical aspects from a NW flow over the next few days. Colder temps with highs at Alta in the 20's and lows in the teens will likely give us lower density snow which will probably be easily transported.<strong> If </strong>these snow totals and wind happen I would expect another round of natural avalanches and considerable to high avalanche danger through Saturday for wind and storm slabs.<strong> If not </strong>and we only pick minimal amounts of snow I would go with moderate danger out there. </p> <p>If we do not get the snow forecasted and get warmer temps with clearing skys we could see some wet slab activity on the melt freeze crusts in places where free water can run. </p>
The new snow settled out to about 14". Alta received around 26" of new snow with 2.65" of SWE which gave us another 10% density storm. It was easy to make a snowball at and below 9500' even on North aspects after noon today. Above that only north aspects held good dry snow. Loose wet point releases were occurring on slopes with a East, South and West component. Below 8500' this morning a thick crust was found from the warm temps on Tuesday. The warm temps later in the afternoon today broke that crust down which should be re forming tonight. Some shallow 4" windslabs noticed just off 10k ridgelines on East and Northeast but seamed limited due to limited available snow for transport which was a bit heavier and harder to blow around. Snowtel sites are back on the rise for percent of median. As of 4/26...
Snowbird- 133%
Mill D BCC- 126%
Thaynes Canyon-137%
Brighton-128%
Timp Divide- 152%