Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Heavy Snowfall, Wind Loading, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 2743 m
Left the parking lot at 4:00 PM. Temps were in low 20's with whiteout conditions. Strong WSW winds and a fast rate of snowfall was facilitating the growth of dense wind slabs. These 1F+ slabs were resting on 4F-F+ powder from the 11th. Despite the abrupt density change the snow was not particularly reactive on test slopes or in shear tests. My guess is that with consistent snowfall and wind overnight there will be medium sized, touchy slabs capable overloading this weak layer on N and NW slopes above 8000'. I plan on returning to the same location tomorrow to test this hypothesis.
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>10-15 mph WSW winds @ 8000'</p> <p>20-30 mph WSW winds @ 9000' ridgeline</p> <p>lots of new, low density snow being drifted onto N and NW facing slopes forming 4-8" wind slabs.</p> <p>Observed fast rate of snowfall above 9000'. Wasn't an issue on its own but was facilitating wind slab formation.</p>