Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>See above for wind loading details from the WNW winds, and eventhough the small isolated pockets of wind slab observed were stubborn and unreactive, it is likely that there were mid slope areas in more exposed terrain where this issue may have been more reactive and prevelent. Overall, the basal facets in the Brighton/Alta perimeter where the HS is approaching 2 meters appear to showing signs of rounding, and the warmth from the past week is also helping strengthen the mid and upper layers of the snowpack. Despite this tendency towards healing, shallow snowpack areas and specifically rocky areas still remain suspect.</p> <p>Of note, graupel runnels and subsequent loose dry sluffing, and graupel pooling under steep cliff band may present possible manageable issues for Tuesday. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>With no human triggered slides in over a week, this problem appears mostly dormant right now, and the minimal new load from this latest event did not appear to increase the potential for failure and propagation in the previously cited basal facets.</p> <p>See above, and the highest elevations appear to continue to have strong winds, so this problem may only be confined to the upper elevation exposed terrain. </p> <p>Until the Persistent Slab issue has been put to bed permanently, the Danger Rating appears to be moderate. </p>
Two to four inches of large (2+ mm) graupel covered the old snow surface, and the constant winds from the last 48 hours had helped break down the old tracks and smooth the surface out. The combination of this grooming by the wind and the graupel worked together to provide creamy carvable turning conditions. The low and moderate angle slopes rode the best, yet slopes of 35 to 40 degrees also rode well. The easterly aspects had the best riding conditions with fewer areas of wind crust and lingering old rime crust.