Quick report
- Red Flags
- Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Despite the warm weather, the weaknesses at the base of the snowpack on NW through NE aspects above about 9500' remain.</p>
Pit from just below 10,000' on northwest aspect. Dirty graupel layer has compressed somewhat since last weekend.
Photo of southerly aspects in upper LCC - arrows pointing to Silver, Days, Cardiff forks where weak snow on upper elevation NW through NE aspects remains.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Was able to get an ECTP12 SC on a northwest aspect at 9900', failing in a layer of faceted snow down near the ground. Despite the full propagation, not much energy in the slab (i.e. it didn't "pop" out of the pit) and the general feeling is the weaknesses at the base of our snowpack are currently dormant, but likely to become active again with a sufficient new load.</p> <p>Thanks to the recent stretch of very warm weather, the top ~10-15 cms (4-6") has crusted and is damp below crusts. This has stiffened up the slab, creating a relatively strong 4F slab on top of weaknesses at the base of the snowpack. Am concerned this stronger slab on top will support greater loads. However, at some point we will likely overload these weaknesses creating possibly larger avalanches.</p>
About 45-60 cms (18-24") in upper elevations. All aspects I noted today (as high as 10,500') were crusted at the surface. South aspects have melted off leaving mostly bare ground. Patches of snow remain on SE and SW aspects.