Quick report
- Aspect
- Northwest
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3078 m
- Slope Angle
- 25°
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Winds were moving snow today. Only one incident of cracking. Experienced a few handfuls of very audible collapses today, which I haven't experienced in quite a while. </p>
Collapse and subsequent cracking.
The lower elevation terrain is taking a beating with the warm temps and the trailhead is a muddy mess by day's end. The upper elevation terrain was still holding soft snow due to wind and thin cloud cover. A more reactive snowpack where we were traveling today compared to other places I have been, but no load to get things moving. The upper portion of the pack is experiencing a temperature gradient right now and the weakest interface in about 12" from the snow surface where the gradient begins.
Wind loading and warm temps are the dangers to look out for in the near future.
Snowpack
About 4.5" of settled new snow since Saturday/Sunday. Winds from the WSW moving snow in the upper elevation wind exposed terrain off ridge lines, cross-loading slopes and filling in skin and ski tracks. Winds kept the upper elevation snow from getting damp and northerly slopes were soft and creamy.