Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking
Wind-drifting was the player today. Sustained winds (there was never really a break from them even for a moment) from the south created fresh cornices and wind-loaded slopes on many different aspects. Cornices grew so quickly that they would collapse quickly. These were small, but an indication of the rapid wind-loading, with some small natural avalanches from cornice falls along north-facing East Bowl Pass.
Our route today was East Bowl from Alta, with an exit up Grizzly Gulch to the Microwave. We triggered an avalanche on west-facing slope below the microwave and is submitted in a separate avalanche occurrence. This was on a cross-loaded terrain feature and the avalanche occurred on a steep rollover 10m below us.
Wind-drifted avalanches weren't large today, mostly class 1, but they could have been consequential if you were pushed into trees or over cliff bands.
Photos:
- Corniced ridgeline
- Downsloping winds - notice the wind-drifting below the ski tracks!
- Two natural avalanches on a cross-loaded slope above Michigan City.
- The numerous small natural cornice falls we noticed. These were small but indicated the rapid wind-loading that was occurring.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Widespread wind-drifting both along and well-down off of ridgelines. Drifts were up to 30 cms thick. As wind drifts settle out and with lower wind speeds forecast overnight into Monday, the trend is decreasing.</p>
Difficult to measure new snow amounts from overnight given how much wind-drifting. Widespread wind-affected snow and a crust on south aspects below 9,000'.
Out of wind-affected terrain, the new snow on northerly aspects skied great.