Although shallow, the snowpack appears stable. Watch out for small wind slabs in specific areas. Heavy snowfall beginning Saturday will increase avalanche danger.
Prevailing winds out of the WSW and overnight gusts had the potential to transport new snow onto the downwind side of ridges and small terrain features, like gullies or rolls on the hillside. Avalanche danger could exist in specific locations on wind loaded terrain features.
The snowpack is still quite shallow. We measured 100cm at 6000ft. at the FAA Towers near Lookout pass.
Yesterday’s snow came in cold and light on top of a right side up base (increasing density from light snow at the surface down to denser snow at the ground). We found some reactivity on compression tests at density changes in the snowpack; however, nothing propagated in our extended column tests.
Overnight wind gusts had the potential to transport 2-3 inches of new low-density snow onto the downwind side of slopes and terrain features. Look for chalky pillows and hollow sounding snow. Do quick sheer tests and hasty pits to see how it reacts.
Biggest safety hazard out there right now are “sharks”, stubborn branches, downed timber and little Christmas trees, lurking just below the surface. Beware!
Looking ahead, the forecast calls for rising temperatures and daily new snow accumulation from Saturday into next week. This new snow will likely be more dense than what fell on Thursday, setting up the potential for upside down loading with heavier storm slabs on top of low density snow. Do your due diligence, dig pits to see how the layers are interacting.
https://fb.watch/9XSkEeK1Zo/
