Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Almost all the red flags out there although a few are I guess just over 48 hours out. Just over 1" of water which was spread out over two days. My group was still getting limited cracking and whumphing Sunday. Right now a informal "Red Flag" for me is terrain with a weaker snowpack just outside the central LCC, BCC area. ( No Name, Seep Shit and Porter Fork) These three main data points for recent avalanches have all happened outside the central LCC, BCC area which has shallower snowpack. Seeing heights of snow up to 170cm in upper LCC with many test results that show no propagation. Still plenty of areas in the heart of LCC and BCC where I am sure you could get a persistent slab valanche but think that the "Scorpian" is less of a factor there now. </p>
Pic. 1 Slight wind skim on SE aspect @ 9100
Pic. 2 Cracking at a steep rollover
Pic. 3 "The Scorpion" 3mm grid
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Still the scary moderate problem in many places right now. Some test results were getting fractures on the old snow with high scores but did not see or hear of any propagation on those weak layers lately around upper LCC. </p> <p>Lots of available snow for transport right now. Winds seam well behaved at the moment but have already drifted snow around the compass at the higher elevations and in channeled terrain. </p>
Five inches of new snow from 5 pm on Saturday evening. Storm total for Alta was 21" with 1.08" of water which is 5% density. As normal with these type of storms that start with a southern component DV, PCMR did just as well as Alta for the first half of the storm. Then the NW flow seamed to kick in and moderate to light snow continued in LCC giving Alta the lions share as we typically expect. NRCS water numbers are around 70% of normal for the range after this last system. Height of snow in upper LCC:
Cardiff Bowl S @ 9900 140cm
Twin Lakes Pass NE @ 9600: 170cm
Twin Lakes Pass NW @ 9800: 80-140cm