Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Cracking, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>It appeared that the initial 2 inches of snowfall overnight came in very light, and then it became upside down with next impulses of snow in the early morning warming temperatures. Hand shears easily identified this weakness in various hasty pits. The aforementioned winds combined with heavy periods of PI created significant slab issues. Upon exiting at 1500, the intense daytime highs and solar appeared to be ready to tip the scales towards widespread damp/wet instabilities on many aspects and elevations; and the pre-storm m/f crusts may have helped provide excellent running surfaces for the damp and wet snow to become reactive on. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>See above and avalanche report from THC. Warm temperatures and the Moderate to Strong Winds may help glue some of these potential instabilities into place, but caution may be advised in any steep terrain with recent Wind Loading. </p> <p> </p> <p>And, special caution may be indicated when near, on and or under any of the large overhanging Cornices...especially during the afternoon hours when temperatures are peaking. </p> <p>See above, and this may continue to be an issue on Monday.</p>
Riding conditions went from: good to bad to worse as the day went on. From 0830 until 1130 the new snow was cold, dry and light above 9200, and the riding was good. In any areas that were receiving any signs of wind, there were 4 finger/soft Wind Slabs. As the Winds were picking up the riding started to thicken up and begin to get slabby. Then the Winds really accelerated and there were widespread 1 finger to pencil hard Wind Slabs even down into the Mid Elevations. Finally, in the early afternoon during periods with breaks in the clouds, greenhousing was dampening the snow surface even on north facing terrain above 10200. And from, 9200 down everything was wet.