Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>No real red flags today, there was some minor wind drifting on the higher ridgelines. Yesterdays stronger winds have formed some drifts on the north through northeast facing slopes, but these seemed pretty relaxed. A rain/rime crust did develop in the higher terrain and it appears to be mainly on south facing slopes. Maybe just something to keep an eye on.</p>
This large natural cornice fall was a good slope tester. It looks like some weak surface snow was involved, but not much else.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Some minimal wind drifting today along the higher ridgelines. Stronger winds yesterday moved snow around onto the northerly aspects, but nothing seemed too sensitive. In the more wind exposed terrain I would imagine a few deeper and sensitive wind slabs could be triggered by the weight of a person.</p> <p>Snow pit stability tests seemed to indicate a moderate hazard for the mid and upper elevations. Plenty of weak snow can be found digging around, but no real slab and the snowpack seems to be content for the time being. Forecasted storms might change the hazard and will need to watch the winds and snow totals. </p>
You might find an inch or two of new snow, but that was all I could locate in my travels. We are in need of some snow to freshen things up, today's flat light and frozen hard tracks made for some rough riding and turning. At lower elevations there are even patches of pavement showing on the highway.