Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
- Collapsing
- widespread
There were many whumfs today on all aspects once we climbed above 6500'. There was some cracking in the steeper spots, especially around convexities, but no avalanches were triggered today. No avalanches have been observed in the past 48 hours.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 0 at the start of the day at 1030, Warmed to 10 degrees by the time we left the field at 1430.
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Wind Loading
- light
- Rain Elevation
- n/app
- Recent Snowfall
- 2
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Cold, albeit warmer than the past few days. Minimal wind. Some inversion is in place, with temps warming slightly at upper elevations but lower elevations remaining cold into the afternoon.
Snowpack
The snowpack is gaining strength, but two layers of concern remain. The primary layer of concern is preserved and buried surface hoar on non-solar aspects. On solar aspects, a buried crust with small facets above it produces collapses and whumfs but no avalanches on this layer have been observed in the southern Bitterroot. I would rate the hazard as on the upper end of moderate, with human-triggered avalanches between possible and likely and natural avalanches unlikely.
Avalanche
Multiple D2 naturals, likely running during peak storm instability last week.