Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2743 m
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Only very minor collapsing noted in our travels along the PM periphery; however PM snow safety teams reported two large, loud, and propagating collapses in adjacent drainages with old snow beneath the storm snow. The teams reported significantly more collapsing during the storm on Tuesday. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Basal facets exist on west to north to east facing aspects roughly 8000' and above. East and west aspect basal facets were damp and would not react in tests. Only high northerly aspects held reactivity with tests: one ECTP14 - see video - but I could not replicate the propagation in many subsequent tests. We experienced only very localized collapsing. </p> <p>I honestly expected to see some avalanches from yesterday's significant loading event but we saw none; same with collapsing and cracking - really none. </p> <p>Still, I would not be surprised if we heard of an avalanche or two triggered in this structure in the next day or two mostly likely in the highest wind loaded elevations adjacent to Snowbasin or along the Ben Lomond skyline. It should also be noted that we found active shears between the new/old interface; ie - between Sunday and Tuesday's storms. This storm interface will certainly heal soon; the facets will remain suspect for a few days if not more. </p>
Roughly 8-14" of storm snow and up to 1.5-2.0" of SWE with this last storm that started heavy and dense on Tuesday with lighter density snow post-frontal Tuesday eve. Excellent and surfy skiing on all aspects and much improved after 24 hours of settlement as the prior storm day was upside down and punchy. 20-30" of snow on the ground in the higher elevations.