Quick report
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Rapid Warming, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Poor snowpack structure continues to be confined to the inverted nature of the new snow since Tuesday night. 4 finger dense Storm Slabs are resting on lighter density pre-storm surfaces. Graupel layers within the new snow and at the old snow interface continue to provide easy shears. Hasty pits yielding shears still at 35 to 45 cm down in density changes within the upper layers. </p> <p>See avalanche report from Needles Chute.</p> <p>The warming may actually be helping in the long run to settle out these sensitive density changes in the upper layers, but at this point they appear to continue to help promote wet loose in the lower mid elevations as well as the low elevations. </p>
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Storm Slab inversions as discussed above combining with a contributing factor of Wind Loading appear to be the number one concern. Of note, these slabs appear to be mostly stubborn and unreactive on slopes with angles less than 40 degrees. </p> <p> </p> <p>Thursday nights forecast for minimal snow may not be enough to tip the scales and help activate the above referenced density inverted layers. But, if the forecast for Friday validates the additional loading from new snow and wind may be a game changer. </p> <p> </p> <p>Danger today appeared to be Moderate with isolated pockets of sensitive storm/wind slabs.</p> <p> </p> <p>Considerable may be appropriate for Friday as the new loading occurs. </p> <p>Cornices continue to grow and be suspect, and with the new loading and forecast for continuing moderate to strong SW winds this problem will increase. </p>
The riding today was much improved from Wednesday with ski penetration only 10 to 15 cm. The carving was "buttery" and very consistent on almost all slopes ridden before the solar and warmth impacted the snow surface. Wind damage only limited to the most exposed areas.